BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 4. Over the past ten years, the agricultural sector has seen growth of more than 37%, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Zaur Aliyev said at a press conference, Trend reports.
He added that important work is simultaneously underway to develop the infrastructure supporting the sector’s growth: this includes the construction of grain elevators, the expansion of the logistics network, and the acceleration of digitalization processes.
According to him, one of the program’s main goals is to increase employment in agriculture and raise farmers’ incomes:
“There are a number of factors that necessitate the development of the State Program. Global challenges in the agro-industrial sector, growing public demand for food, risks associated with climate change, and instability in global markets pose serious threats to food security. These reasons necessitate the development of the State Program.
The new State Program is being developed based on a comprehensive approach that covers both production and all stages of the value chain, he added.”
The new state program takes a comprehensive approach to ensuring the sustainable and balanced development of the agricultural sector. Its main objectives include strengthening food security, increasing productivity, developing production within a competitive value chain, and fully restoring agricultural activities in the liberated territories.
Plans include strengthening the legal and institutional framework to support the program’s implementation, as well as digitizing processes.
In line with the program’s main objectives, the average annual growth rate of gross domestic product generated by agriculture, forestry, and fisheries is projected to be at least 2% during the period from 2026 through 2030. At the same time, exports of agricultural and processed fish products are projected to increase by an average of 6% per year.
By 2030, the plan is to increase the average wheat yield per hectare in specialized regions to 50 centners. As a result, production is expected to increase by approximately 20%, and self-sufficiency levels are expected to rise.
Moreover, it is planned to expand the area of land using modern irrigation systems to 300,000 hectares. At the same time, the goal is to increase the area of intensive and super-intensive orchards by 20,000 hectares.
In cotton production, the plan is to increase the average yield per hectare in specialized regions to 50 centners by 2030, as well as to quadruple the volume of processed cotton.
In livestock farming, the plan is to increase milk production by 10% and meat production by 20%. Through the development of sheep farming, the goal is to achieve full self-sufficiency in lamb.
In the fisheries and aquaculture sector, the plan is to increase production to 7,700 tons, raise the level of self-sufficiency, and expand export opportunities. To this end, legislation will be improved, and support mechanisms strengthened, including subsidies and tax breaks.
The scope of agricultural subsidies is also being expanded, and the use of certified seeds is being encouraged. According to the Council’s decision, in addition to the existing regional distribution, additional measures are being introduced: a subsidy for blueberry cultivation in the Guba-Khachmaz economic region, a subsidy for cotton in the village of Goydallakli in the Agsu District, a subsidy for tobacco in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, as well as a subsidy for planting super-intensive peach (nectarine) orchards in the territories liberated from occupation, in the Khojavend District.
In accordance with the Council’s decision, it has also been established that in 2026, farmers with a total planted area of more than 10 hectares of wheat or more than 100 hectares of barley who do not use certified seeds will receive a subsidy reduced by 20%. “Farmers are advised to take these requirements into account now when preparing and procuring seeds for the upcoming fall planting season,” he noted.
The Deputy Minister stated that the ministry has a number of proposals for improving the subsidy system. These proposals also include changes to existing decisions and regulations that form the basis of the subsidy system.
According to him, there is a need to introduce new approaches and new tools in the area of subsidies:
“These changes will significantly contribute to improving the overall effectiveness of the subsidy system. In line with the established development goals for specialized, intensive, and semi-intensive farms, there are plans to establish small and large livestock farms. At the same time, one of the main priorities is to increase the level of professionalism and commercialization in the agricultural sector.
During the program’s preparatory phase, preliminary discussions were held with the Central Bank, the Business Development Fund, and other relevant institutions to ensure financial accessibility, and certain agreements were reached.
“In particular, a new interest rate subsidy instrument for loans will increase the availability of financial resources for both banks and farmers. There are also plans to eliminate information asymmetry to ensure easier access to the sector for financial institutions,” the deputy minister noted.
