HORTICULTURE IN AZERBAIJAN

Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus. The Republic of Azerbaijan is one of the richest countries in the post- Soviet area in terms of natural resources, which spans 9 out of 11 existing climatic zones. This circumstance requires a special approach to dealing the issues of agriculture. Azerbaijan has an old history of growing many Mediterranean subtropical and nut-fruit crops, such as Juglans, Corylus, Castanea, Amygdalus, Pistacia, Olea, Punica, Ficus, Diospyros, Vitis and others. The article deals with such nuances of Azerbaijan’s agriculture as the problem of land shortage and water scarcity, the need for innovation, the development of organic agriculture. The statistics of the development of fruit growing and viticulture in Azerbaijan are given. The land reform in the Republic of Azerbaijan is considered. Despite a number of challenges facing the fruit growing industry at the present stage of development of the national economy, it has been one of the most profitable in the agricultural sector for quite a long period of time.