Azerbaijan food security and market stability

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Finance initiated a strategy to bolster food security and promote import substitution. The plan focuses on increasing the production of strategic goods such as wheat, meat, milk, fish, and vegetable oils, while developing processing industries for fruit, vegetables, hazelnuts, and cotton to increase export value.

To support these goals, the ministry proposed expanding logistics infrastructure, improving irrigation through modern technology, and utilizing the Electronic Agricultural Information System (EKTIS) to monitor production and subsidies.

Despite these efforts to increase local production, consumers have reported significant price surges for various food products, including tea, grains, and dairy. Eyyub Hüseynov, chairman of the Azad İstehlakçılar Birliyi, attributed these increases to alleged cartel agreements where actors use multiple company names to set market prices. Hüseynov noted that while global costs for fertilizer and agriculture contribute to inflation, the domestic market lacks sufficient regulatory mechanisms to control these hikes.