Baku — August 27, 2025
In the first half of 2025, Azerbaijan imported 929.3 tons of sturgeon worth $1.57 million, according to official trade data.
The most expensive sturgeon came from the Netherlands, averaging 36.55 manats ($21) per kilo. By contrast, the overall average import price was just $1.65 — about 2.88 manats per kilo. From Russia alone, 534 tons were imported at a declared price of 1.96 manats per kilo.
Yet in local markets, that same fish is sold for 30 to 35 manats per kilo — raising the question: why does sturgeon that enters the country at 2 manats end up on dinner tables at fifteen times the price?
Economist Natig Jafarli told Bizim.Media the sharp gap could partly be explained by differences in fish varieties. But he also pointed to market structure:
“If imports from Russia and other countries were open to all players, prices would normalize. The state has no business fixing retail prices — the market should be shaped by supply and demand. The problem is that imports are handled by a narrow circle of companies, which gives them power to dictate prices.”
The disparity between official customs prices and market rates highlights the broader issue of competition — and the lack thereof — in Azerbaijan’s food supply chain.
