The purpose of the research - develop scientifically based methodological and practical recommendations for increasing the innovative activity of the agricultural products processing industry in Azerbaijan.

 The methodology of the research - correlation-regression analysis, matrix placement and prediction.

The practical importance of the research -  the recommendations and results that can be used as a basis for statistical indicators, which can solve the problems of innovative processes in the agricultural processing industry.

The results of the research - describe that the agro-processing industry is characterized by the fact that its products are mainly related to low-tech production. Azerbaijan mainly exports raw materials, not highly processed products with high added value. Thus, we reduce the profitability of export activities and strengthen the positions of our competitors in the world market by processing Azerbaijani raw materials, not only in tobacco, but also in the fields of leather, wool, textile and clothing production.

The originality and scientific novelty of the research - the classification of processing areas according to technological groups. In these regions, as an assessment of the level of innovative activity of the republic's regions, production areas are classified into low-, medium- and high-tech industrial areas. Area characteristics of the regions are taken into account.

Keywords: low, medium and high-tech industries, innovation-active enterprises, added value, agricultural processing industry, international comparability of statistical indicators, labor productivity, industrial characteristics of regions, competitiveness, structural changes.