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

As of September 1, 2012, Azerbaijan produced agricultural products worth 3.460 million manat, or 6.06 percent more than in January-August 2011. Agricultural output at stable prices rose by 6.7 percent, including 7.6 percent of crop, livestock - 5.6 percent

Actual cost of agricultural production in Azerbaijan, thousand manat

source: Azerbaijani state statistics committee

Azerbaijan continues harvesting crops. As of early September, the volume of collected grains, except maize, exceeded 2.6 million tons from the 993,200 hectare-crop area. The yield per hectare an average hit 24.7 centners. Despite the grain collection in the region is under completion, maize collection is underway. Maize production reached 58,600 tons, 37.4 percent, or 13,400 hectares of the area subject to the collection. Taking into account the maize, grain and legume collection increased by 325,800 tons, or by 13.9 percent and reached 2.7 million tons - a record level. Annual demand for food grains is about 1.6 million tons.

The farms also collected 706,800 tons of potatoes (2.6 percent more than last year), 16,900 tons of feed sunflower (12.7 percent more), 968,000 tons of vegetables (0.6 percent more), 396,800 tons of melons (10.2 percent less), 331,400 tons of fruit and berries (12 percent more), 31,600 tons of grapes (31.7 percent more) , 2,500 tons of tobacco (18.3 percent more) and 395,4 tons of green tea leaves (0.65 percent less).

The cotton picking process began. As of September 1, around 2,700 tons of raw cotton were gathered. The area under cotton increased by 1,900 tons compared to last year.

source: Azerbaijani state statistics committee

The increase in livestock production was observed in Azerbaijan during eight months of 2012. According to the State Statistics Committee, around 295,500 tons of meat, 1.145 million tons of milk, 794.1 million eggs and 15,000 tons of wool were produced in January-August 2012. The production of meat increased by 3.4 percent, milk - by 7.0 percent, eggs - 19.5 percent and wool - 1.6 percent compared to the same period of last year.

Production of main livestock products, thousand tons

source: Azerbaijani state statistics committee

In August, Azerbaijan production prices for agricultural products decreased by 1.5 percent compared to the previous month. According to the State Statistics Committee, in August production prices on annual plants fell by 4.1 percent, perennial - 3.6 percent. Production prices on corn fell by 0.4 percent, potatoes - 10.8 percent, onions - 0.6 percent, garlic - five percent, beet - 12.6 percent, cucumbers - 24.6 percent, tomatoes - 0.3 percent, eggplant - 5.5 percent, pepper - 33.1 percent, clover - 1.3 percent. The prices on apples fell by 10.6 percent, pears - 4.5 percent, peaches - 13.7 percent, plums - 2.5 percent, hazelnuts - 8.3 percent. Production prices on wheat increased by 0.7 percent, green beans - 16.7 percent, watermelons and melons - 2.2 percent, greens - 2.5 percent, dry grass - 2.2 percent.

The production prices for livestock products in August rose by 1.1 percent compared to the previous month. Production prices on veal fell by one per cent, mutton and poultry (live weight) - 0.7 and 0.3 percent respectively, turkey - 1.3 percent. Production prices on cow's milk increased by 6.4 percent, eggs - 1.9 percent. In August, there was a decline in prices on fish and fish products by 1.1 percent.