Azerbaijan, Baku, June 3 / Trend, A.Akhundov /
Some 1.3-million ton grain stocks available today fully satisfy Azerbaijan's needs, told Trend on Thursday, Agriculture Ministry's Plant Products Production and Processing Department Chief Sabir Veliyev told Trend on Thursday. One million tons of this volume was left from 2010, while 300,000 tons were imported in the current year.
"Azerbaijan has enough grain, but if necessary we will increase volume of imports," he said.
Veliyev said this year 2.5 million tons of grain is expected to be produced in the country.
According to the State Statistics Committee, spring field work continued in April, and spring plants were planted on the area of 260,700 hectares by May 1. Compared to 2010, area under crop increased by 12.3 percent.
Potatoes were planted on the area of 53,300 hectares, 48,600 hectares - vegetables, 30,200 hectares - cotton seed, as well as cereals, maize, watermelons, sunflowers, sugar beet, tobacco and other products.
Veliyev stressed that Azerbaijan import grain only from Kazakhstan.
"We have already imported 300,000 tons and by late 2011 additional grain supplies are expected," he said.