BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 5. Azerbaijan's agricultural policy for the liberated territories aims to allocate 50% of agricultural land to returning residents and lease the remaining 50% to investors, Minister of Agriculture Majnun Mammadov told reporters on Thursday on the sidelines of the First Azerbaijan Regional Aquaculture Forum in Baku, according to Trend’s correspondent covering the event.
He said returning residents are to receive plots located within a radius of 1-2 kilometers of their villages, with the necessary infrastructure in place. The minimum area allocated to each farm has been set at five hectares.
According to him, land located farther from villages will be leased through competitive tenders for investment projects. The minimum plot size for such projects is 20 hectares.
"Four rounds of tenders have already been completed. More than 500 applications were submitted, and winners have been selected for approximately 48-50% of them. There are investment applications and successful bidders in livestock farming, fisheries, horticulture and crop production," Mammadov said.
The minister stressed that the main goal is to ensure that farmers earn sufficient income from agricultural activities. He noted that the average land area per farm in Azerbaijan currently stands at 1.7 hectares, which in many cases does not generate enough income to meet farmers' needs.
"In some cases, farmers earn less than the subsistence minimum. This is not the outcome we are aiming for. That is why the minimum plot size in the liberated territories has been set at five hectares," he said.
Mammadov added that in some villages, the available land and terrain do not allow five hectares to be allocated to each farm. In such cases, residents are encouraged to join forces and establish family farms or cooperatives.
The minister said that such cooperatives are already being established in the liberated territories, citing the successful cooperation of women farmers in the village of Khanyurdu in Khojaly.
Asked about fish product prices, Mammadov said that the main factor determining prices is the balance between supply and demand. Increasing production is essential to expand supply.
He stressed that one of the ministry's key priorities is to prevent monopolies in the sector and promote competition.
"There are around 700 aquaculture farms in the country, more than half of which are not registered. Under the new law, we will simplify the registration process. This will enable farms to register, receive production subsidies and contribute to greater competition," the minister added.
