BAKU, Azerbaijan, The Azerbaijan Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA) has always supported restaurants in the country and work in this direction continues, SMBDA Board Chairman Orkhan Mammadov said at the National Culinary Congress held in Baku on October 24, Trend reports.
According to Mammadov, national cuisine is one of the main components of material culture. The history of Azerbaijani national cuisine is as ancient as the history of the Azerbaijani people. Azerbaijani dishes are known all over the world for their high taste qualities.
He noted that the establishment of close cooperation with civil society institutions is one of the main activities of the agency.
“A number of public organizations are represented in the Public Council under the SMBDA. They are directly involved in the process of developing new legislative acts in the field of nutrition, creating new mechanisms to stimulate the development of SMEs and their associations operating in this area,” the official also said. “The role of associations in activities to involve entrepreneurs in this process is undeniable. The Azerbaijan Culinary Specialists Association, registered in 2019, is a very active public association and is engaged in activities aimed at developing the culinary sector in the country.”
Mammadov also noted the EU-funded “Improved Promotion and Marketing of Traditional Foods” technical assistance project, which was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and the SMBDA since from 2019.
“The project has been implemented in Ganja-Dashkasan, Gazakh-Tovuz, Guba-Khachmaz, Central Aran, Mil-Mughan and Shirvan-Salyan economic regions. Under the project, legislation affecting the promotion and marketing of traditional agricultural and food products was analyzed, recommendations were prepared, trainings, seminars and round tables were organized for target groups,” he explained.
Besides, as the board chairman noted, within the project educational material on healthy eating and nutrition of schoolchildren and the public, and a “Traditional Azerbaijani food products, nutrition and healthy eating” curriculum for students were developed, 10 types of traditional food products were identified and measures were taken to promote them.
According to him, in order to increase sales of traditional food products, bring them to foreign markets and increase awareness, it’s necessary to widely promote these products at the national and international levels, pursue a systematic marketing policy, and strengthen marketing activities among manufacturers.
The work carried out by the Azerbaijan Culinary Specialists Association is very important in this direction. The agency supports SMEs working in this direction through various services and mechanisms, Mammadov further said.
“The agency organizes special stands for SMEs at various local, and international exhibitions and festivals, giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their products free of charge. Besides, the mechanism for supporting domestic market research can also be used in the restaurant business,” he pointed out.
“I hope that the congress organized today will play a special role in developing cooperation between local enterprises, especially micro and small businesses operating in this area, and the public catering sector,” added the board chairman.
Soured: TREND News Agency