PremiumReview of agriculture in Azerbaijan (Jan.-July 2012)

According to the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee, as of June 1, the total area under cultivation this year increased by 2.4 percent compared to 2011 and hit 1,647 hectares compared to 1,608,200 hectares last year.

Thus, the area under fodder crops, industrial crops, vegetables and melons decreased amid the increase in the area under grains by 6.7 percent (from 967,300 hectares in 2011 to 1,031,800 hectares this year).

In particular, the area under spring and winter wheat was 688,000 hectares (+5.2 percent), spring and winter barley - 291,800 hectares (+11 percent), maize - 35,900 hectares (+6.8 percent), beans - 12,900 hectares (+0.8 percent).

Area under industrial crops this year amounted to 48,400 hectares (-27.7 percent), including the cotton - 29,100 hectare (-32 percent), sugar beet - 3,600 hectare (-50.7 percent), sunflower - 11,000 hectares (-2.7 percent). However, the area under tobacco increased by 7.1 percent to 1,500 hectares.

Area under potatoes was 66,000 hectares (+1.2 percent), vegetables - 78,000 (-3.8 percent), melons - 30,000 hectares (-9.6 percent).

The decrease in the area under some crops is connected with bad weather conditions during the spring field work that prevented planting.

Sown areas, thousands hectares

Source: State Statistics Committee

As of August 1, around 2,564,700 tons of grain in the initial weight were gathered from a 973,800 hectare sown area (except corn) (in 2011 - 2,268,200 tons). Around 26.3 quintals of crop on average were collected from one hectare or by 1.6 quintals more than the previous year.

According to the Azerbaijani Agriculture Ministry, as of July 23, Sheki region with the index of more than 219,000 tons was a leader among Azerbaijani regions in terms of grain production in 2012. Jalilabad region ranks second with 131,000 tons, Neftchala (102,000 tons) and Agsu (101,500 tons) rank third. Shamkir region ranks first on the level of productivity.

The farms also collected 521,100 tons of potatoes (+3.6 percent), 713,500 tons of vegetables (+0.6 percent), 295,300 tons of melons (-4.3 percent), 1,569,800 tons of tobacco leaves (+34.3 percent) and 505,100 tons of green tea leaves (+17 percent).

According to the Agriculture Ministry, today the Azerbaijani population's need for livestock production through domestic production is ensured by 80 percent. According to a state program of reliable providing the population with food products (for 2008-2015), this need must be entirely covered by domestic production until 2015.

Thus, the production of meat in a live weight was 251,800 tons during the period, which is 3.5 percent more than compared to the same period of last year, dairy products - 1,008,200 tons (+7.1 percent), eggs - 699.9 million pieces (+18.5 percent), and wool - 14,800 tons (+1.5 percent).

Production of main livestock products, thousand tons

Source: State Statistics Committee

According to the State Statistics Committee, Azerbaijan produced agricultural products worth 2.874.1 billion manat in January-July this year, or 6.8 percent more than in January - July 2011. Thus, the plant products increased by 7.7 percent, animal products - by 5.7 percent.

The production prices for agricultural products decreased by 0.2 percent in Azerbaijan in July compared to the previous month.

According to the State Statistics Committee, in July, the prices on annual crop production decreased by 1.7 percent, but the perennial plants - 1.8 percent. In particular, wheat prices fell by 4.1 per cent, potatoes - 1.6 percent, cucumbers - 4.3 percent, tomatoes - 2.3 percent, eggplant - 24.3 percent, sweet pepper - 41.6 percent, spring onions- 2.1 percent, beans - 3.1 percent. Production prices on onions increased by 4.2 percent, watermelons and melons - 13.8 percent, garlic - 3.6 percent, clover - 10.5 percent, dry grass - 0.2 percent.

The prices on apples fell by 9.1 percent, pears - 6.4 percent, peaches - 2.6 percent, apricots - 1.3 percent, cherry-plums - 2.6 percent, plums and sloes - 0.8 percent , hazelnuts - 2.3 percent. The growth of production prices on lemons was 1.9 percent, strawberry - 0.2 percent, cherries - 5.2 percent.

Production prices for livestock products rose by 1.4 percent in July compared to the previous month. Veal prices fell by one percent, buffalo meat - 1.4 percent, pork (live weight) - 0.1 percent, turkey - 1.2 percent, milk - 0.1 percent. Production prices on mutton rose by 0.7 percent, beef - 2.6 percent, poultry (live weight) - 4.1 percent, eggs - 10.9 percent, natural honey - 0.5 percent.

In July, there was an increase in prices on fish and fish products by 0.6 percent.