Azerbaijan’s poultry industry heads towards self-sufficiency
According to latest market research, poultry production is currently the most lucrative and profitable sector of agriculture in Azerbaijan.
It is predicted that within five years the country will be able to reach self-sufficiency rates and abandon virtually all imports.
Poultry production
At the beginning of this year more than 45 large and medium-sized poultry farms were operational in Azerbaijan, with a total volume of production estimated at 60 thousand tonnes of poultry and 1.2 billion eggs per year.
In pre-crisis times around 2007-2008, Azerbaijan had only 30 poultry farms, which a total production level of 40-50 thousand tonnes of poultry per year. Therefore within the last three years the country increased by almost a third the number of poultry farms and also significantly increased the production output.
Poultry consumption
Significant changes have also occurred in poultry consumption patterns. According to statistics, the annual consumer demand for poultry is about 80 thousand tons, and not so long ago only half of this figure was produced by the domestic industry.
For example, in 2007-2008, Azerbaijan has been importing 25-30 thousand tonnes of poultry annually from Brazil, Turkey, UAE, Iran, Poland and other countries. During this period imported poultry was slightly cheaper than domestically produced products, and was replacing it from the market.
Nowadays the poultry industry is gathering pace: according to forecasts, by 2015 the production rate will reach 90 thousand tonnes of poultry and more than 1.350 billion of eggs per year, fully meeting the demands of the domestic market.
