Azerbaijan to import new kinds of wheat

By Nigar Orujova

New kinds of wheat resistant against the drought will be imported to Azerbaijan, Agriculture Minister Heydar Asadov said.

Grain production in the country decreased this year because of drought, he said.

"Nearly 10,000 tons of new kinds of wheat will be imported this year. The relative agreements have already been signed. Next year we will try to spread both local and foreign varieties," he said.

Azerbaijan produced 2.177 million metric tons of grain in January-August 2014.

On average, the Azerbaijani farmers collected around 22.8 quintals of grain from each hectare, the Azerbaijani State Statistics Committee said.

Given the collected corn, grain production amounted to 2.238 million metric tons.

Azerbaijan with a population of over 9.5 million people is able to meet its grain demands by 75 percent and imports only 25 percent of grains from abroad, mainly from Kazakhstan and Russia. The country produced 2.8 million tons of grain in 2013.

Drought in Azerbaijan has damaged some agricultural products as lack of irrigation systems has negatively impacted the growth of fruits and vegetables.

This year the drought has destroyed crops fields in Shaki, Shamakhi and Gobustan.

Earlier, Head of the Department of Eco Geography at the Geography Institute of ANAS Enver Aliyev said perennials, dried by drought this year, will be able to give a normal harvest at least in five years.

The drought was observed throughout the country. In the eastern part of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus - in Shamakhi, Gobustan regions, on the flat part of Ismayilli and Shirvan plain the drought has left serious consequences.

The drought has most strongly affected the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus.

The drought has created other problems; vegetation of summer pastures in Guba-Gusar region has significantly reduced which causes damage to livestock.

However, the situation has now slightly improved with rainy weather around the country.

/AzerNews/