Azerbaijan hosted its first strawberry festival in Jalilabad, which became a significant gastronomic event, bringing together local communities and experts in the industry. The festival highlighted the country's growth in strawberry production, thanks to USAID's support, which has transformed Azerbaijan into a major strawberry producer, ranking among the top 30 globally. The event was marked by culinary competitions, children's activities, and entertainment, and has been decided to be an annual occurrence. In the past year and a half, Azerbaijan has seen a doubling of its strawberry exports, primarily to Russia, with some shipments to Kazakhstan and the UAE, showcasing the country's increasing involvement in the international berry market.