A two-day international seminar on “Strategic Commodities” organized by ASK started its work

An international seminar on “Strategic  Commodities” is being organized in Azerbaijan by the Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation (ASK). The purpose of the seminar is to discuss cooperation issues and exchange of experience in the field of production of strategic export commodities with representatives from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and other countries.

Opening the seminar, ASK Deputy Secretary General Fuad Humbatov said that experts of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture will make presentations and give recommendations to participants in this field.

Saying  “Our goal is to share good practices” F. Humbatov noted that the two-day seminar would include proposals on the state of tomato and hazelnut growing and ways to develop it.

Speaking at the seminar, Director of the Agricultural Economics Research Center under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan Firdovsi Fikratzade said that one of the main missions of the ministry is to form an analytical base on the agricultural sector in the country.

Agricultural Economics Research Center has an analysis of tomato and hazelnut growing. In the near future, hazelnut fields will be formed on 84,000 hectares in the country. “By applying intensive technologies, we can get 1.5 tons of product per hectare, so Azerbaijan can be the second country in the world after Turkey in terms of hazelnut production”, he said.

In addition, according to Fikratzade, Turkey is currently discussing with Azerbaijan and Georgia the pricing policy for hazelnut production, as well as the fight against diseases.

According to the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, Azerbaijan is one of the top five countries in the world producing hazelnuts. Our country accounts for 4% of global hazelnut production. At present, the total area of hazelnut orchards in Azerbaijan is 74,000 hectares. Last year, the country produced 45,500 tons of hazelnuts.