Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15
By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:
Tea export is planned to be increased to 20 tons in 2018 in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Association of tea producers and exporters and the head of the company "Astarachay" Talat Mammadov told Trend.
The volume of 2017's export was 12 tons.
"At present, tea production in Azerbaijan has increased by 15 percent, and this figure is expected to increase even further by the end of 2018. The crop is planned to be harvested at the end of August and in autumn. Therefore we hope that by the end of 2018, the production of tea will reach higher results," the head of the association said.
Meanwhile, he added that, tea exports to the CIS, Baltic countries and Turkey are particularly planned to be increased.
"Thanks to its high quality and taste, Azerbaijani tea is especially popular in these countries. We expect to further expand the geography of our exports," Mammadov said.
For the first time, tea was planted in Azerbaijan in the late 19th century and its scientific cultivation began in 1929.
By the end of the 1980s, the area of tea plantations in the country reached 13,400 hectares and tea production – 34,500 tons. The population's need for tea was ensured by 65-70 percent through domestic production. The studies carried out in those years showed that an area of about 21,000 hectares is suitable for planting tea in Azerbaijan.
Since the 1990s tea production in Azerbaijan began to gradually decline and by 2010, 587 hectares accounted for the sown area, while the production volume - 545 tons.
This situation began to improve only in 2016. By 2017 the area of tea plantations doubled up to 1,114.3 hectares and tea production increased by 42.2 percent up to 775.2 tons.
At the moment, Azerbaijani tea is grown in two regions of the country - Astara and Lankaran.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an order Feb. 12 approving the State Program for the Development of Tea Industry for 2018-2027.
According to the order, the state program is approved to develop tea growing, increase the export potential in this industry, and ensure the employment of rural population.
The implementation of the state program will make it possible to increase the area of tea plantations up to 3,000 hectares and tea harvesting – 8,500 tons. This will greatly reduce import dependence, as well as increase the export potential of this sector.
Tea harvesting is planned to be increased by 10.96 times in Azerbaijan by 2027, according to the State Program for the Development of Tea Industry for 2018-2027.