May 25, 2010

Azerbaijan not to increase grain imports

Azerbaijan does not intend to increase grain imports due to heavy rains and mudslides in Aran in 2010, Agriculture Ministry Plant Department head Sabir Veliyev said.

"As today we have sufficient grain reserves, there will be no rise in prices on bread. A record amount of grain - three million tonnes - was gathered, although the domestic grain demand is one million tonnes," Veliyev said.

He added that about one million tonnes of grain were imported from Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan to private entrepreneurs in 2009. Only a half was used. He also noted that grain production may decrease by 250,000 tonnes this year due to natural disasters in Azerbaijan.

Floods in 40 Azerbaijani regions have been recently registered. About 20,000 houses were flooded, more than 300 destroyed, 2,000 were in emergency condition, and 50,000 hectares of cultivated land were under water as a result of the disaster.