Chairing a republican conference on the development of tea, rice and citrus fruits production in Lankaran, Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev specifically spoke on citrus fruit production in the country.
"As for citrus fruits, this sector enjoys great attention. I can say that there is growth in this sphere too, but it can be even greater. I should note that it is necessary to consider layering citrus orchards in foothill areas and on the slopes in a terraced way,” he said.
The President also pointed out the necessity to create new freezing chambers and deliver special small-sized equipment for citrus fruits.
While there is still room to improve, the cultivation of citrus has experienced robust growth in recent years. In 2000, citrus fruits were planted on 1,700 hectares, now they are planted on 2,500 hectares.
However, in order to eliminate the dependence on imports, Azerbaijan must produce an additional 27,000 tons of citrus fruits.
To meet the growing demand and contribute to the non-oil sector development, new citrus orchards were planted in the foothills of Astara in accordance with the presidential order dated September 12, 2017 on "New measures to promote the production of citrus, tea and paddy rice in the Republic of Azerbaijan".
Source: azernews.az
