Azerbaijan exported €48.2 million worth of pomegranates and pomegranate products in 2025, directly challenging established European producers like Spain. This significant export volume, achieved just one year ago, highlights how external agricultural powers are increasingly penetrating markets traditionally served by European farmers. The expansion sees Azerbaijani pomegranates, juice, concentrate, wine, and seed oil reaching 26 countries, from Gulf states to markets across Asia, intensifying competition for our own agricultural sector.
The European Market Challenge
Farhad Garashov, chairman of the Pomegranate Producers and Exporters Association of Azerbaijan, emphasised the fruit's deep cultural roots, stating it's an "integral part of our nation's cultural heritage, with a history spanning nearly 2,000 years, symbolising abundance, prosperity, and well-being." This strong national branding, representing over 500 farmers and exporters, gives Azerbaijani products a distinct advantage in international markets. While European nations grapple with maintaining their own agricultural traditions, countries like Azerbaijan are actively leveraging their heritage to capture global market share.
Azerbaijani producers cite a combination of indigenous varieties, proximity to European and Gulf markets, and crucially, "EU-compatible phytosanitary standards" as their main competitive strengths. This compliance with Brussels' regulations effectively opens the door for non-EU products to compete directly with European goods, often at a lower cost, putting immense pressure on our own working and middle-class farmers. More than 200 varieties are cultivated across 23,000 hectares of orchards, with the Guloysha variety particularly prized internationally.
Brussels' Standards, Foreign Gains
The shift from fresh fruit to processed products, including juice, concentrate, and oil, allows Azerbaijani producers a longer selling season. Investments in cold storage, processing plants, and logistics infrastructure mean they can now supply buyers year-round, rather than only during the autumn harvest. This extended supply capability further intensifies competition for European producers, who face increasing demands from foreign buyers and large supermarket chains for stricter phytosanitary standards, consistent fruit sizes, and international packaging. These requirements, often shaped by EU regulations, push smallholders towards new financing instruments and partnerships, potentially marginalising those who cannot adapt.
Anar Jafarov, director of the Agrarian Innovation Centre under the Ministry of Agriculture, noted that Azerbaijan's agriculture is now focused on "branding high value-added agricultural products." This strategic approach to national economic development stands in stark contrast to the challenges faced by European agriculture, which often struggles under the weight of EU bureaucracy and environmental mandates that can undermine competitiveness. Yusif Lazgiyev, operations director at Az-Granata, a private juice and beverage company, reported a significant reduction in this year's harvest due to cold and rainy weather in late May and early June, which prevented the second of the pomegranate tree's three seasonal flowerings. He stated that trees blossomed only once this year "due to climate change," causing productivity and yield to drop, with rain washing away existing blossoms.
Economic Sovereignty at Stake
Lazgiyev confirmed yield losses from a single flowering cycle run to 15% to 20%, and temperature swings also spread disease more quickly. Wine production this year was down 30% to 40% compared with 2025. Garashov acknowledged that the industry has prioritised drip irrigation, digital water management, and improved water efficiency in response to higher temperatures and more frequent drought, calling climate change "major concerns for all producers." These challenges underscore the critical need for European nations to secure their own food supply chains and protect their agricultural sectors from both climate volatility and unchecked foreign competition. The Goychay Pomegranate Festival, held each October, draws tens of thousands of visitors and serves as a cultural celebration and trade event. Its inscription on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024, following an initiative by First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, further enhances the international visibility of the 'Made in Azerbaijan' brand. This focus on national identity and economic promotion should serve as a stark reminder for European leaders to prioritise the 'Made in Europe' brand and the livelihoods of our own people.