Mammad Musayev: Agricultural production in Azerbaijan nearly tripled in 17 years

Private sector currently accounts for over 99% of agricultural production in Azerbaijan, while in the first years of independence, this figure was only 1%, Mammad Musayev, President of the Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation, said at the "Overview of agribusiness development in Azerbaijan" panel at the 4th Agribusiness Development Forum held in Baku, Report informs.

According to Musayev, entrepreneurs play an important role not only in production, but also in the processing, packaging and marketing of products: “As a result of this activity, the competitiveness of local products increases. Currently, the number of people engaged in entrepreneurial activity in Azerbaijan without creating a legal entity has exceeded 1.4 million people, and 87% of them work in the agricultural sector. At the same time, more than 12,000 legal entities operate in this area. During the period 2007-2024, the production of agricultural products increased by 2.5 times.

He said that in January-March 2025, local entrepreneurs exported fruits and vegetables worth $153 million, beverages worth $14 million, and cotton products worth more than $40 million.

In his opinion, it is necessary to increase access to finance in agriculture:

Musayev emphasized the impact of global climate change on Azerbaijan's agriculture: “It is important to take timely and systematic measures against the background of a decrease in productivity and water resources, and a decrease in farmers' incomes.”

According to him, public-private cooperation plays a key role in this issue: "The Agrarian Development Commission operating under the Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation discusses these issues together with relevant agencies, farmers and experts to find solutions. This cooperation plays an important role in strengthening local production, completing the product value chain and increasing exports. As a result, both state revenues increase and entrepreneurs gain access to new markets."