Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 27
By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:
Russian sugar producers are interested in increasing the supply of their products to Azerbaijan, Board Chairman of the Union of Sugar Producers of Russia (Soyuzrossakhar) Andrey Bodin told Trend on Sept. 27.
"Russia and Azerbaijan have established professional business ties, as well as friendly relations between Russian and Azerbaijani producers of sugar products. We actively cooperate with Azersun, which is the largest sugar producer in Azerbaijan," Bodin said.
The mutual goal of Azerbaijani and Russian producers is to meet the needs of the domestic market, as well as expand exports to foreign markets, according to him.
"So, interaction between the market and the state is of great importance. The experience of our cooperation over the past 10 years has confirmed the great importance of working with farmers, and in recent years they have been given a lot of state support. In my opinion, the increase in beet sugar production in Azerbaijan mainly depends on market conditions and the interests of farmers. Therefore, it is crucial to provide them with the necessary financial support to increase the production," Bodin added.
He also noted that the potential of Russian sugar export for the coming years is estimated at 900,000 tons, nevertheless, the competition in the markets of Ukraine, Azerbaijan and other CIS countries affects the growth of supplies to a certain extent.
"So, Russia has turned from a sugar importer to a sugar exporter. The European experience, adopted in recent years, has played a certain role. There has also been significant investments in the processing of sugar products. In Russia, the main raw material for the production of sugar is sugar beet," Bodin said.
He noted that he considers it expedient to create joint ventures between the two countries in the agro-industrial complex, and sharing experience in sugar production can also positively affect the cooperation of the two countries.