Azerbaijan exported €48.2 million worth of pomegranates and pomegranate products in 2025, making the fruit one of the country's fastest-growing non-oil exports.
Around 23,000 hectares of orchards now supply fresh fruit, juice, concentrate, wine and seed oil to 26 countries, from Gulf states to markets across Asia. That puts Azerbaijan up against established exporters such as Iran, Turkey and Spain, all of which sell pomegranates at scale.
"For Azerbaijan, the pomegranate is an integral part of our nation's cultural heritage, with a history spanning nearly 2,000 years, symbolising abundance, prosperity, and well-being," Farhad Garashov, chairman of the Pomegranate Producers and Exporters Association of Azerbaijan, told Euronews.
Azerbaijani producers point to a mix of indigenous varieties, EU-compatible phytosanitary standards and proximity to European and Gulf markets as their main advantages. More than 200 varieties are cultivated, concentrated in the Kur-Araz lowland and the Goychay district.
The best-known internationally is Guloysha, prized for its thin skin, high juice content and sweet-sour flavour. Other varieties, including Valas, Shah Nar, Nazik Gabig and Bala Mursal, offer distinct colours and flavours that producers use to stand out on supermarket shelves abroad.
