Food industry in Azerbaijan

Food industry inAzerbaijanis a branch of industry that processes, prepares, preserves and packs agricultural raw materials with appropriate methods in the country. Regarding to the volume of industrial production agrarian (food, beverage and tobacco) ranked the first among the other procession industries.
In 2003, the first cannery of theAzerSunGroup of Companies - Caucasian Cannery started its activity in Khachmaz region.
Recently new company Bizim Tarla started to produce variety of products and exporting to many countries including to USA.
Production of bread and bakery products is mostly carried out inBaku.There are various bread and pasta factories in Baku: “Aghsu”, “Karmen”, “Mughan”, “Karabakh”, “№1” (Gilan Holding).
One of the most popular beverages in Azerbaijan is pomegranate juice. In 2009, pomegranate juice named “Grante” (AzNAR, Goychay district) was awarded three gold medals at the 16th international food exhibition “Prodexpo 2009”.
Furthermore, there are many companies specialized in the carbonated and non-gasified water sector: “Shollar”, “TAC”, “Khayal”,” Veysaloglu” and others. InShahbuzand Nakhchivan, there are two mineral water enterprises: «Badamli», built in 1949 and «Sirab», built in 1976. On October 1, 1999, the "Pepsi-Cola" water production plant was opened in the village of Sulutepe (Baku).
Azersun Holding and Beta Group of Companies account for 62.2% and 32.1% of tea market, respectively. Azerbaijan is popular with Lankaran tea. At the international competition held in Madrid in 2002, Azerbaijani tea was awarded the Gold Prize of Europe. Similarly, in 2005 at the competition «On Quality and Technology» Lankaran tea was awarded gold medal.Black tea accounts for 98% of tea production in Azerbaijan.
There are wine and cognac factories inGandja, Goychay,Shamkir,Khanlar,ShamakhiandNakhchivan. In total, there are 60 brands of wines (“Bayan”, “Medrese”, “Novruzlu”, “Shamkhor” and others). Among 44 enterprises producing alcoholic beverages, 35 of them are focused on producing beer.
46% (about 4 million hectares) of the total territory of the country is farmland, half of which is pasture. According to statistics, in 2017, the volume of meat production in Azerbaijan amounted to 316,8 thousand tons. In December 2008 this number was 25,3 thousand tons. According to statistics, meat production in the country has grown by 0.5%. Meat processing is mostly carried out in Baku, Gandja, Sheki,Mingachevir, Nakhchivan,Aghdam,Imishli, Lankaran andXirdalan.
Milk processing plants are located in Baku,Sumgait, Gandja, Mingachevir, Lankaran, Xirdalan, Shamakhi,Barda,Zardab,SalyanandSiyazan. There are more than two dozen large milk factories and 128 small dairy enterprises in the republic. In 2008 Palmali Group of Companies opened a dairy factory “NurSud” in Lankaran. Another milk factory named “Agro” has been operating in Bilasuvar district.
Fishing is considered an important industry in Azerbaijan. On 25–27 May 2009, the 2nd Caspian International Exhibition «Marine Products and Fishing» was held with the aim of presenting the potential of the Caspian region to international circles engaged in the fishing sector. Fish stocks of theCaspian Seaand theKura Riverare operated in Mingachevir,Hajigabul, Hilli, Lankaran, Absheron Economic Region. There are fish breeding plants in the country, most of which are located in theNeftchaliregion, Khudat and Hovsan.Azerbaijan has ratified 12 international conventions in this field, after making 120 amendments to the Law «On Fishing».
In recent years a number of enterprises was launched in thefood industry. They are indicated below:
In 2014 seventy projects were financed by National Support Fund of Entrepreneurship. 57 of them were food production projects.