May 18, 2012

Azerbaijan's January-April agricultural production up 4.5%

In the first four months of this year, Azerbaijan's agricultural production volume at current prices amounted to AZN712 million (US$906.7 million), or 4.5% more compared to the same period in 2011, a report of the State Statistics Committee said on Thursday (May 17).

"The growth of crop production was 9.5%, livestock production - 4.3%," the report says.

The spring-field works continued in the country in April, and by May 1 sowing of spring plants at an area of 263,700 hectares was held. The crop area increased by 1.15% as compared to the previous year.

At an area of 56,100 hectares potatoes were planted, 51,000 hectares - vegetables, 40,500 hectares - grains and legumes, 18,700 hectares - cucurbitaceous, 23,700 hectares - cotton, 6,200 hectares - sunflowers for forage, 3,300 hectares - sugar beets, 59,300 hectares - perennial grasses.

In the structure of spring sowing, grain and leguminous crops, including corn, accounted for 15.4%, technical plants - 12.9%, potatoes, vegetable and cucurbitaceous - 47.7%, fodder plants - 23.3%. Farms produced 36,400 tonnes of vegetables.

During the reporting period, the republic produced 137,700 tonnes of meat in live weight, 527,400 tonnes of milk, 384.6 million units of eggs, 1,866 tonnes of wool. Meat production in comparison with the first four months of 2011, in January-April this year grew by 3.5%, milk - by 4%, eggs - by 11.9%, and wool - 26.3%.

The cost of fish caught and services rendered by fisheries amounted to AZN66,600 (US$84,800).