Today, the agricultural sector of the Azerbaijani economy is experiencing stable and dynamic development. The agricultural sector plays an important role in ensuring food security of the population. It is also the largest employment sector of the population. About 1.5 million people in the country ensure their livelihood and financial support by working in the agricultural sector. This means that this remarkable day is also a professional holiday for about 1.5 million people in Azerbaijan. The agrarian reforms carried out in the country not only ensure the dynamic development of this sphere, but also solve the employment problem. The agrarian reforms implemented in our country envisage further development of agriculture, and for this purpose the state is taking great support measures. As a result of successive measures, the agricultural sector has entered a new stage of development, and the pace of development in this area continues.

The provision of population with food is one of the most important global challenges in modern times. The countries of the world and international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the International Monetary Fund, etc. are carrying out extensive work to consider the problems of reducing the number of people suffering from hunger, ensuring a minimum subsistence level for each person and other aspects of food security.

Since the Soviet times, Heydar Aliyev laid the foundation for the development of agriculture in Azerbaijan. It was a period when it was necessary to end the backwardness rooted in agriculture and find the possibilities of product development. Heydar Aliyev saw the only way out of the crisis in the development of Azerbaijan’s economy. The wise leader deeply analysed the situation in the agrarian sector and defined specific tasks.

Thus, decisive and serious measures were taken to eradicate mistakes and shortcomings in the management of the republic’s economy, strengthen discipline at all levels, increase the demandingness and responsibility of personnel for the assigned work. In 1979-1980, the growth rate of agricultural production in Azerbaijan reached 34 per cent instead of the expected average 13 per cent.

National leader Heydar Aliyev always paid great attention to the development of agriculture even after his second return to the political power of the republic. Hundreds of decrees, orders, laws, resolutions and other normative-legal documents were adopted to implement reforms in the agrarian sector. This all led to the creation of the legal basis for state regulation of the agrarian market. And, finally, new production relations based on private property were formed, the processes of formation of a modern business environment began, and the foundations for the necessary conditions for real co-operation were laid in the agrarian sector.

In 2001, by order of the head of the country the “State Program for ensuring food safety in the Republic of Azerbaijan” was approved. As a result, the pace of transformation in the agrarian sector accelerated and Azerbaijan turned from an importing country to an exporting country, except for wheat and livestock products.

President Ilham Aliyev successfully continues the political course of national leader Heydar Aliyev. Under his leadership, measures aimed at the development of the agrarian sector, which is the second most important after the fuel and energy complex, have been implemented. Decisions taken by President Ilham Aliyev, improvement of mechanisms of institutional, economic and technological development of this sphere in the country gave impetus to the transition of agriculture to a qualitatively new stage of development. Involvement of new technologies and modern equipment is of crucial importance for the development of the agricultural sector and food production. However, the involvement of new technologies, purchase of modern agricultural techniques that require significant resources, so to make changes in this area would not be possible without the support of the government. Thus, the Electronic Agricultural Information System (EKTIS) was created. Employees of the State Agrarian Development Centres, “Agrarian Development Volunteers” and “ASAN Volunteers” provide information and consulting services to farmers in order to create a personal account in this system and consistently enter data into the system. The development of the agrarian sector in our country has had a significant impact on the export of agricultural products. The export potential of this sector has increased and the role of agricultural products in the formation of foreign exchange earnings of the country has grown. As a result of the decisions taken by President Ilham Aliyev to provide state financial support to producers, the agricultural sector began to develop very quickly, progressive technological innovations and innovative methods were applied, and production indicators have improved significantly. This, in turn, has resulted in ensuring the country’s food security, reducing dependence on imports, and creating abundance and prosperity, as well as increasing the export potential of the agricultural sector. However, in addition, allocation of subsidies and fertilisers on concessional terms, concessional credit facilities have also been created for farmers. As a result of agrarian reforms carried out in Azerbaijan in the 1990s, land was transferred to private ownership. Numerous family peasant farms were formed on the basis of land shares. However, at present, farmers’ co-operation as one of the important points is coming to the fore. According to the analyses of the Ministry of Agriculture, the majority of small land shares are on whole plots, but farmers grow different crops on the same plot, whereas it would be more appropriate to unite and grow one crop. To this end, the project “Single Crop on a Single Plot” was developed.

Another important step towards the development of agriculture is the introduction of agro-insurance system. A mechanism of agricultural insurance has been officially launched in Azerbaijan with state support. In connection with the establishment of the Agrarian Insurance Fund, the existing models of agrarian insurance in the world have been considered, and the experience of progressive agrarian insurance system of the USA, Canada, Spain, Turkey and Israel in this field has been studied. Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, preliminary work has been started to restore agriculture in our lands liberated from occupation. The liberation of our lands has a positive impact on the development of agriculture. The country’s crop rotation will increase in the future, strategically important water reservoirs in the liberated territories will provide irrigation for hundreds of thousands of hectares. These lands have great potential for the development of viticulture, grain growing, cotton growing and cattle breeding. If this potential is properly utilised, at the same time, sustainable development of agriculture will be ensured through the expansion of agro-processing industry.

The Smart Village project is being implemented in the villages of Aghali in Zangilan district and Dovletiarli in Fuzuli district. Three-, four- and five-room apartments, as well as schools and kindergartens are being built under the Smart Village project, where green and alternative energy and the “smart management” system are applied. The Smart Agriculture site is located around the village. The “Smart Agriculture” utilises modern irrigation systems. “Intelligent Management System” and data centres have been implemented here. Thus, all the necessary works will be carried out so that the residents can live comfortably and engage in agriculture.

“Agropark Dost” is the first private agricultural complex established by Turkish and Azerbaijani investors in the Karabakh and Zangazur regions. The foundation of the project, which is being implemented in three phases, was laid on 26 October 2021 by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. All works to be carried out in “Agropark Dost” within the first phase have been completed. During the first phase of the project, administrative buildings, livestock units, breeding complexes, social facilities, a cafe, a cinema, a recreation area, and buildings for the accommodation of service personnel were constructed. 3,500 cattle have been brought into the complex, and production of farming products has begun. The complex will make an important contribution to the food security of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Azerbaijan is considered as a country with great potential for the development of agriculture and continuation of the development of public policy that is consistent in this area may allow for future growth by 2-3 times. The development of the agricultural sector, ensuring food security of the population is one of the main directions of Azerbaijan. And agricultural workers make an invaluable contribution to the successes of the country achieved in this economic field.

Recommended literature:

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   Qurbanov, Natiq.Azərbaycanın kənd təsərrüfatının iqtisadi inkişaf tarixindən... /N. Qurbanov ; red. S. İmanova ; Azərb. Dövlət Kənd Təsərrüfatı Muzeyi. - Bakı: Elm və təhsil, 2014. - 277 s.
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7. Джаббаров, Зейтулла Абдул оглу. Модернизация сельского хозяйства Азербайджана. Опыт аграрных реформ /З. Джаббаров ; ред. Э. Насиров ; дизайн А. Айдын. - Баку: Zərdabi LTD, 2018. - 252 с.