Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 14
By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:
Azerbaijan plans to increase in 2018 the exports of pomegranate and products made of it, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Pomegranate Producers and Exporters Association Farhad Garashov told Trend Sept. 14.
The chairman of the association noted that the measures taken by the state i.e. the export missions and the participation in international exhibitions, will help producers.
"Last year Azerbaijan exported pomegranates worth $11 million and pomegranate juice worth $8.5 million. This year we plan to increase these figures and expand the geography of exports. Our task as an association, among other things, is to improve the quality of pomegranate produced in Azerbaijan, to introduce the advanced standards in this area, in order to export fresh pomegranate to countries of Europe and the United States. More export missions and more active participation in international exhibitions have been planned for this year, compared to 2017. This is a good chance for us," said Garashov.
Garashov said the association intends to strictly control the quality of the exported products.
"There were negative facts when unripe fruits were collected and exported. We appealed, in particular, to the Food Safety Agency, and expressed our dissatisfaction. The association intends to suppress such facts. This may reduce consumers’ confidence in Azerbaijani products," Garashov said.
The Pomegranate Producers and Exporters Association was established on October 31, 2016. At the moment, it brings together 28 members– eight large processing enterprises and 20 farmers.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @IlkinShafiyev