Exports of persimmons from Azerbaijan to foreign countries have experienced a marked decline, Chairman of the Association of Persimmon Producers and Exporters Gadir Yusifov told Report.
He noted that the main markets for Azerbaijani-made persimmons are Russia and Ukraine.
"The purchasing power in these countries has decreased. Our products are not sold. Our warehouses are full of persimmons. We can hardly sell our product abroad. The Association has repeatedly raised the issue of supporting farmers and exporters in ensuring their access to new markets in the relevant state structure. However, no basic work has ever been made in this direction. Now the situation is complicated since we don’t have other markets for the export of persimmons. Over the past 20 days, sales in Russia and Ukraine have fallen by 40 percent," he added.
Yusifov said that tens of thousands of tons of persimmons are stored in refrigerators across the country.
"We need to sell this product in 20 days. Otherwise, we will see a decline in foreign exchange earnings from abroad," he said.
Last year, the coutry exported 125,771.8 tons of persimmons worth $91.6 million.