Azerbaijan meat imports down 21.9%

Meat and meat products import to Azerbaijan has dropped 21.9% as compared to January-February 2009.

Azerbaijan imported 3,470.1 tonnes of meat and meat products in the amount of US$3.156 million in January-February, according to sources in the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan. In January-February 2009, the country imported 4,441.9 tonnes of meat worth US$3.111 million.

In 2009, Azerbaijan imported 18,379.2 tonnes of meat and meat products in the amount of US$14.07 million which is 75.7% of the import of this production in 2008.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's meat production fell by 5.9% this February as against January of the year.

The State Statistics Committee (SSC) informs that in February meat production made up 23,034 tonnes against 24,466 tonnes in January 2010, 26,300 tonnes in December 2009, and 23,655 tons in February 2009.

"For January-February 2010 the country produced 47,500 tonnes of meat, 1.5% less than meat manufacture for the 2009 same term (48,300 tonnes)," SSC reported.

Last year, meat production totalled 305,100 tonnes, up 0.8% the production in 2008 (302,800 tonnes).

For January-February 2010, 213,300 tonnes of milk was produced as against 204,500 tonnes in the same period in 2009, while 199.4 million eggs were produced as against 189.3 million in the same period in 2009 and 1.209 billion eggs in 2009.

By January 1, 2010, the country's cattle stock increased by 1.2% up to 2.6 million heads, pig stock reduced by 20.3% to 8,200 heads.