1. Why Agriculture matters?  Major driver of diversification away from oil and gas resources  Largest employer in the country, providing ca. 40% of employment  47% of the population lives in rural areas  9 out of 11 climatic zones existing worldwide

2. Agro-Economic Indicators  Share of agriculture in national GDP – 5,1% (downward trend over last decades)  Share of non-state agricultural sector in agricultural GDP - 99,4 (second largest after trade and services sector)  On average 5% growth over the last decade

3. Land and crop indicators  Arable land is 22% of the total territory  Cultivated crop areas: cereals and leguminous – 63,8%, potato and vegetable – 10,2%, fodder crops – 23,5%, industrial crops – 2,5%  In 2014 Crop production – 51%, Livestock production – 49% (shift towards livestock, 56 and 44% respectively in 2013 )

4. Export Performance Export Performance   Second largest exporter after oil and gas  Major agro-food export products:  Major agro-food export products: fresh and canned fruit and vegetables, nuts, caviar, wines, etc.  Main agro-food export destinations: CIS countries mainly (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), EU states, Turkey, etc.

5. Main national strategies on agricultural development  State Program on reliable provision of food (2008-15): self-sufficiency objective  Vision into Future: Azerbaijan 2020: agriculture could be a major contributor to doubling of GDP in 2020

6. State support to agriculture  Tax exemptions (profit tax, VAT, simplified tax, property and income tax) for agricultural producers, except land tax  Input subsidies (farm machines, seeds, pedigree animals, fertilizers, lubricants, irrigation water)  Acreage based subsidies  Soft loans for producers and processors (for construction of cold storage facilities, greenhouses, broilers, cattle rearing complexes, etc.)

7. Agro-food trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Belgium  Major agro-food imports from Belgium: for almost 40 tariff lines (pastries, confectionaries, chocolates, pears, live animals, products made from potato, etc)  Major agro-food exports to Belgium: nuts (in a very limited amount)

8. Platforms for Cooperation  Food and Agriculture Exhibition held annually in May, in Baku, Azerbaijan  Intergovernmental Agreements on Agricultural Cooperation (in veterinary and phytosanitary fields)