Azerbaijan, Baku, 16 June / corr. Trend U. Ismayilova/ The establishment of grain fund of Azerbaijan will give a powerful impetus to the development of the domestic production and expansion of sown area, said Ismat Abbasov, the minister of agriculture of Azerbaijan.
"The grain fund of Azerbaijan will be established from the domestic production," the minister said.
In April 2008, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a decree to implement the presidential decree of 15 July 2000 to apply the Bill on Grain according to which the management of the Grain Fund of Azerbaijan was handed over to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan. The Cabinet of Ministers is instructed to address issues arising from this decree.
According to minister, the Government has begun to take measures to end import of grain.
The grain production in Azerbaijan is expected to reach its all time high as compared to the previous year as the sown area has been extended by almost by 130,000 ha totaling to 601,000 ha. Azerbaijan is not able yet to satisfy the grain demand by the domestic production. The grain production is expected to increase up to 2.5mln tons. Some 700,000-800,000 tons of grain will be imported in 2008 while this figure totaled to 1.411.000 tons in 2007.
Nearly 2mln tons of grain-crops has been produced in 2007 in Azerbaijan, 1.3mln accounting for bread-grain. The annual grain demand totals to 1.530mln tons, monthly demand - 129.640.000 tons and 180kg per head annually. The overall grain demand of Azerbaijan is evaluated at 3mln tons.
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