BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 14
By Nargiz Ismayilova - Trend:
Achieving intensive development in the field of applying advanced methods and innovations determines growth in Azerbaijan’s agricultural sector, Trend reports referring to a source in Azerbaijan’s Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communications.
Agriculture plays an important role in both the growth of non-oil exports and import substitution, according to the source. Despite that during the years of independence, Azerbaijan’s population is constantly increasing and today exceeds 10 million people, there are no problems in ensuring self-sufficiency in basic foodstuffs.
“The level of self-sufficiency in basic foodstuffs in Azerbaijan is increasing every year, and our country is currently ranked 53rd in the Global Food Security Index,” said the source. “For a clearer picture of the situation, one fact alone should be taken into account, that in 2019, against the background of rising prices for food in the world by 12 percent, a rise in price in Azerbaijan amounted to less than 4 percent. Without growth in agricultural production in our country, we could have suffered more damage from higher world prices.”
“But we did not observe a sharp increase in food prices,” the source said. “This once again shows that the president correctly determined the agrarian policy."
“The specialization in the agricultural sector is being intensified in the most efficient segments,” the source added. “Transparency is also increasing as a result of the introduction of e-agriculture. The new subsidy and agricultural insurance mechanism which is used this year also serves to intensify specialization. As a result, growth in agriculture will continue in 2020 and in further years.”
“We will improve the food supply of the population through more efficient use of resources available in agriculture by increasing productivity and achieving intensive development,” the source said. “On the other hand, as a result of the development of processing of agricultural products produced in our country, added value, new jobs are created and export of non-oil products is growing."