Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 17
By Anvar Mammadov – Trend:
It is necessary to expand the production of persimmon packaging in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Association of Persimmon Producers and Exporters Gadir Yusifov told Trend Sept. 17.
He said that the production of high-quality and attractive packaging may significantly affect the development of persimmon exports.
“Presently, in order to expand the exports of persimmons, we need to establish production of high-quality packaging,” he noted. “The lack of packaging production restricts our exports. Previously, we produced wooden containers, but cutting down trees harmed Azerbaijan’s ecology. We are trying to gradually switch to plastic containers, however, this is a long process. Special companies are needed, but there are few of them now. It is important to arouse the interest of entrepreneurs, but this requires considerable expenditures. For example, only for the Goychay district, which is the leader for the production of persimmon, about one million of packages are needed.”
Touching upon the yield and export of persimmons in 2018, he added that the preliminary analysis makes it possible to talk about a level approximately equal to last year’s one.
“For now, it is impossible to accurately forecast the harvest, but the primary information shows that about 200,000 tons of persimmon will be harvested in 2018, just like it was last year,” Yusifov said. “The same can be said about exports as well. We export almost 90 percent of the entire harvest, because the remaining 10 percent allow us to completely cover the population’s need.”
Earlier, Yusifov told Trend that the measures being taken in Azerbaijan may increase persimmon production by 50 percent, up to 300,000 tons per year.
“In 2016-2017, new persimmon orchards were planted at 800 hectares in Azerbaijan,” he said. “We need to achieve the increase in the yield not by increasing the planting area, but by better tree care. It is necessary to improve the technical base, properly carry out agrotechnical processes - fertilization, pruning and watering of trees.”
“These steps will allow us to get better products,” he noted. “In addition, a great number of new gardens has been recently planted in Azerbaijan. When these trees reach the fruit bearing age, this factor will also affect the growth of yield.”
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