You Are Really Spoiling Us

In November 2015, on the 10th annual Pomegranate Day, the unveiling of a pomegranate statue took place in front of AZNAR’s factory in Goychay. The Owner, Farkhad Ahmedov, proudly stated that “…We must be prepared for the post oil production era in Azerbaijan. This fruit can make us renowned in the world and make us all proud of our ancestors…”

Over the last two years, AZNAR has continued to respond to foreign markets with its best “Ambassador,” the not-from-concentrate (NFC) pomegranate juices under the brand Grante.
Pomegranate fruit and juice is rich in vitamins (A, C, E, and folic acid), iron, potassium fiber, and it has a low calorie content. A pomegranate covers 40% of the amount of vitamin C and 25% of folic acid needed daily as an adult.

With antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, astringent, healing, and anti­diarrheal properties, pomegranate juice has been used for therapeutic purposes for centuries. Among other things, it prevents the oxidation of “bad” cholesterol (LDL), which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It also appears to reduce both the levels of total and “bad” cholesterol in diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia, among other benefits.

AZNAR is using its favorable price-quality ratio as the key element to penetrate foreign markets with its flagship NFC juices. For the first time, countries such as Kazakhstan, the UAE, Taiwan, and Latvia have Grante Juices represented in their markets, increasing the total number of markets where Grante Juices are consumed to more than 15. In 2015, AZNAR’s presence in Russia and Australia was further strengthened with the positioning of Grante in more sales points, such as local supermarket chains. In addition, as part of this effort, new markets in East Asia (Malaysia, Taiwan, and China) and in the US and Canada have been exploited and the initial results are encouraging. AZNAR’s firm policy to provide fair-priced, high-quality juices to consumers in selected countries around the world has already received positive feedback from large chain retailers and wholesalers in Europe.

Grante: Passion for Quality Pomegranate

During the 2015 harvesting, AZNAR started to collect fruits from its own private orchards for the first time. These orchards are cared for by agronomists and specially educated staff under the consultation of some of the leading specialists in the world. The juice coming from these fruits is classified as organic, thus offering the maximum quality and nutrients to consumers around the world.

New Products to Come

During 2015, as a result of AZNAR’s participation in international exhibitions in Europe and elsewhere, AZNAR/Grante has received six more awards. AZNAR won accolades at Great Taste 2015, being the first pomegranate juice producer to win such awards. In May 2015, AZNAR became a member of the (US) Fancy Food Association, proving the excellence and international recognition of its products.
Visitors who participated in the exhibitions urged AZNAR to create a greater variety of tastes and flavors. Some of them also requested sugar-free compotes. AZNAR, responding to consumer demands, started to expand its range of products by offering new and unique mixed juices and fruit compotes, even manufacturing sugar-free products only with added stevia and fructose. New packages and designs are also on the way in AZNAR’s longer-term plans. Grante was presented for the first time in Moscow and sold in a Tetra Pak Carton. Consumer acceptance of the product even exceeded expectations.

Environmental Sensitivity

As modern technology and society continually develop, AZNAR turned to a vertically integrated plant where all pomegranate residuals (seeds and skins) are turned into valuable products. The research and analysis showed that lipophilic solvents such as CO2 could be used to extract oil from pomegranate seeds and yield natural, high-quality oil. The result was to create technology that is able to produce the highest possible pomegranate seed oil, while maintaining its premium natural quality.
The installation of the technology is the first in the country and also the first in the greater area of Russia and other neighboring countries. AZNAR’s global customer confidence is proof of the excellence and devotion to high-quality products. It also shows the transformation of agricultural products of Azerbaijan as becoming valuable consumer products distributed all over the world, serving as the best ambassadors of the country.