BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 29
By Fidan Babayeva – Trend:
Tobacco production in Azerbaijan increased by approximately 20 percent in 2019, Director of the Agrarian Production and Trade Department of the Azerbaijan Industrial Corporation OJSC Ilham Bayramov told Trend.
Bayramov said that income from export of tobacco products amounted to $2.5 million in 2019.
"In 2020, it is planned to increase the number of drying chambers. Currently, work to prepare greenhouses is already underway, and new varieties of high-quality tobacco are being selected. To improve the quality and competitiveness of local tobacco products, it is planned to import several new varieties of tobacco. Finished tobacco products produced in the country do not yet fully cover domestic needs,” the department’s director added.
Bayramov noted that the volume of exports from Azerbaijan to Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia and Poland amounted to 1,293 tons in 2019, 475 tons of which accounted for Russia.
"Currently, the largest volumes of tobacco in the country are produced in the Balakan, Shaki, Ismayilli, Gabala, Lerik and Masalli," Bayramov added.
Bayramov emphasized that a pilot production of finished tobacco products has been launched in the Oghuz district. Work in this direction is being carried out jointly with Japan Tobacco International.
The Azerbaijan Industrial Corporation OJSC was established by the decree of the president of Azerbaijan in 2017.