July 8, 2014
Azerbaijan to accept top-quality grain into national fund
Azerbaijan''s State Material Reserves Agency, under the authority of the Emergency Situations Ministry, has announced the acceptance of high-quality grain to the State Grain Fund.
Since July 2, the State Grain Fund have begun to acquire grain at US$306/tonne from local farmers through its enterprises-grain elevators Sangachal, Ganja, Abşeron Taxıl, Karat-Holdinq, Karmen, FATOĞLU, Bakı-Taxıl, Araz and Aveta.
The purchased grain is expected to meet requirements approved by the resolution No 105 of Azerbaijan''s Cabinet of Ministers issued on July 7, 2009 and determined by the annex No 1 on "Terms of content and use of the State Grain Fund."
Grain, contaminated with black fungus horns-parasite as well as storage pests, are not allowed.
Azerbaijan is able to meet its grain demand by 75% and imports only 25% of grains abroad, mainly from Kazakhstan and Russia. The country produced 2.8 million tonnes of grain in 2013.
The government is keen to reduce the country''s dependence on imports to ensure its food security.
Azerbaijani''s president, Ilham Aliyev, signed an order on additional support for agricultural producers on June 4. The document envisages providing the agricultural producers with grain harvest combines.
Based on the order, the Agrolizing Open Joint Stock Company was allocated US$19.1 million from the Azerbaijani President''s Reserve Fund, as stipulated in the State Budget for 2014.