Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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Azerbaijani agricultural products continue to strengthen their position in global markets. As is known, the poultry sector in Azerbaijan received a license to export edible eggs to the U.S., which is struggling with rising prices due to avian flu.

In addition, Azerbaijan exports eggs to countries in the Middle East and began exporting edible eggs to Russia at the end of 2023. Since edible eggs make up an important portion of the diet, this news raises questions about whether Azerbaijan will witness a rise in prices linked to exports to countries such as Russia, the U.S., and the Middle East, all of which have large populations.

The Head of the Azerbaijani Poultry Association, Murvad Hasanli, has shed light on the issue several times, assuring that Azerbaijan provides about 150% of its domestic demand for edible eggs, and price rises are out of the question.

Speaking to Azernews, the head of the association reiterated his words once again and noted that Azerbaijan stopped exporting edible eggs to Russia long ago.

“Since the end of 2023, Azerbaijan has begun exporting edible eggs to Russia. However, by mid-March 2024, the Russian side began imposing certain obstacles, leading to a halt in egg exports to the country. Currently, exports are limited to the Middle Eastern countries.,” noted Murvad Hasanli.

He also touched on the egg exports to the U.S., and noted that on March 18, eggs were loaded into containers for shipment to the United States, and they left the port on March 19.

“A contract for 80 containers has been signed, with the first phase involving the dispatch of 15 containers. The export will be carried out through the Poty port,” he added.

Given the fact that the poultry sector was not significantly developed in comparison with other areas of agriculture during the USSR, it may be considered a nascent sector for Azerbaijan. However, the progress of the sector is dazzling. It is one of the rare sectors in the country that has not only limited itself to meeting the demand of the population but also succeeded in making exports.

Many believe that the sector can play a pivotal role in diversifying the GDP and exports of Azerbaijan, which suffers from the Dutch Disease. In addition, it can develop a cluster and provide the citizens with jobs. Taking into account that over forty percent of Azerbaijanis live in rural areas, and the country is bordered with countries boasting fast-growing economies, this prediction seems real. Murvad Hasanli’s words confirm the prediction as well.

“There is strong demand and interest for Azerbaijani eggs in European countries. Currently, documentation processes are underway. Once the paperwork is completed, exports to European countries will commence,” said the Head of the Association.

Murvad Hasanli’s words are a precursor of more important developments. Thus, Azerbaijan’s non-oil-and-gas exports are heavily oriented toward Russia and Turkiye. To put this into perspective, Azerbaijan’s non-oil-and-gas exports to the said two countries account for over 48 percent of total non-resource exports. So, egg export to Europe and America will not only lead to diversifying the total exports but also export destinations.