Steps taken to strengthen poultry industry in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan has rolled out plans to exempt soybean import from VAT to encourage poultry farmers to expand operations. The new measure is seen as a part of a programme embarked on by the government to mitigate the rise in feed costs and encourage poultry farmers to scale up their businesses. Azerbaijan poultry farmers consume 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes of soybeans per year, Myurvyat Hasanli, head of the national association of producers and exporters of poultry and eggs, said. Azerbaijan is one of the largest importers of soybeans in the Caucasus and Central Asia region, purchasing most products from Brazil, the US, Argentina, Russia and Paraguay, he added. In future, Hasanli said, local farmers intend to expand soybean production, mainly by attracting foreign investments. In early February, Azerbaijan extended the exemption of feed, feed additives, fertilisers, and some other products from import duties until the end of 2023. Firdovsi Fikretzadeh, director of the Center for Agrarian ...