BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. The Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) discussed expanding cooperation in the agricultural sector, Trend reports, citing the Ministry of Agriculture.
The discussion took place during the 5th Agribusiness Development Forum between representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Asian Development Bank.
Deputy Minister Ilhama Gadimova noted that Azerbaijan is taking important steps toward the digital transformation of agriculture, the implementation of artificial intelligence, the development of agricultural services, and climate-resilient agriculture, and that cooperation with international partners is of particular importance.
Asian Development Bank representative Jiangfeng Zhang stated that cooperation with Azerbaijan is one of the ADB’s priority areas. He emphasized that the bank is interested in expanding joint efforts on sustainable agricultural development, effective water resource management, and the adoption of innovations and technologies.
The meeting featured a wide-ranging exchange of views on the digitalization of agriculture and the implementation of artificial intelligence-based solutions, the creation of data-driven support mechanisms for farmers, the modernization of irrigation systems, effective water resource management, the development of agricultural insurance and financial instruments, as well as the promotion of climate-resilient agricultural models.
In addition, the sides discussed opportunities for implementing innovative pilot projects in the regions, adopting “smart village” and “smart farmer” approaches, and studying and applying the best practices of Asian countries in livestock farming and agricultural production.
The parties expressed interest in expanding cooperation in the agricultural sector.
