Ukraine allows pork imports from Azerbaijan

Ukraine cancelled the ban on pig imports from Azerbaijan, also raw materials and their products, which has been introduced in 2008. According to the State Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service of Ukraine, the decision was made due to the fact that there were no cases of African swine fever outbreaks in Azerbaijan since March 2008.

Ukraine banned the import of pigs raw materials and products from Azerbaijan in January 2008 when several outbreaks of African swine fever in the country were registered.

However, officials of the Azerbaijan pig industry noted that the ban imposed by the International Epizootic Bureau, was purely formal. In 2008, Azerbaijan could not export pork products abroad. But since that time the situation has changed significantly, and now the pork industry of the country is growing and the decision to cancel this ban could mean that Azerbaijan for the first time ever may begin to export its pork products to neighbouring countries.

“Over the past two years a large sum of money has been invested in the development of the industry, and today we can really say that Azerbaijan has the opportunity to deliver their products to the pork markets of neighbouring countries. We are eyeing the Russian and Ukrainian markets.

The domestic market has a certain specificity, since a large part of Azerbaijan’s population do not eat pork at all. This situation could be become a factor in the exports supplies and could help stimulate the development of industry,” said the official representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture.

(By Vladislav Vorotnikov)