BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 5
By Fidan Babayeva - Trend:
The planned volume of hazelnut export from Azerbaijan is 18,000 tons, President of Azerbaijan's Hazelnut Producers and Exporters Association (AHPEA) Ismayil Orujov told Trend.
According to him, at the beginning of the year, the export up to 23,000 tons was forecasted, but the producers faced problems due to the frosts in April in some Azerbaijani districts.
“In early April, frosts were observed in some districts of the country. For this reason, the planned yield harvest has decreased this year,” he said.
Orujov noted that last year, hazelnut yields in Azerbaijan amounted to 20,000 tons, and the export volume from the beginning of the season amounted to 16,000 tons.
“The hazelnut sales in the country’s domestic market sharply dropped, but this didn’t affect the prices. During the special quarantine regime, when all the country's borders were closed due to the spread of coronavirus, Azerbaijani hazelnuts were exported to Russia and some European countries. However, hazelnut prices may be affected by our competitor in foreign markets, which is Californian almond," he stressed.
The chairman added that, according to the latest data, sales of Californian almond on foreign markets have sharply fallen, and if its prices don’t rise before September 2020, the income from the export of Azerbaijani hazelnuts can also drop.
In 2019, Azerbaijani hazelnuts totaling $125 million were exported. The Azerbaijani hazelnuts are mainly grown in Gakh, Zagatala and Balakan districts.
The Azerbaijan Hazelnut Producers and Exporters Association was established in 2016 and presently, it includes 60 organizations.
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