BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 30. The total area of agricultural land in Azerbaijan where modern irrigation systems are applied has exceeded 155,000 hectares, and over the past year, this figure has increased by 20,000–25,000 hectares, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Agriculture, Majnun Mammadov, told reporters on the sidelines of the event held at the ministry’s administrative building to mark November 1 – Agriculture Workers' Day on Friday, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
The minister noted that agricultural workers, farmers, entrepreneurs, mechanics, veterinarians, and agronomists play an important role in ensuring food security in the country.
Mammadov remarked that the main goals of the state program for the development of the production and processing areas of agricultural, fishery, and aquaculture products for 2026-2030 are to boost production using fewer resources, improve the welfare of farmers, accelerate the development of the agrarian economy, and increase productivity.
"Agriculture is impossible without science. In this regard, we will pay special attention to agricultural education, science, the application of innovative technologies, and increasing efficiency in the field," the minister stressed.
He said that after the consultations held in the regions within the framework of the state program, investment projects in various directions were presented by farmers and entrepreneurs. Currently, works are being carried out in the direction of the implementation and planning of those projects.
Mammadov mentioned that it is planned to create greenhouse farms in the liberated territories by the industrial method in a single zone.
"Work has already been done to allocate 230 hectares of greenhouse land in those areas, and entrepreneurs have shown interest in almost all of these areas for the purpose of investment. Further expansion of projects in this direction is planned," he said.
The minister added that the expansion of modern irrigation systems is of great importance for achieving the goals of the state program. Specifically, while the total area equipped with modern irrigation systems was 130,000 hectares by the end of 2025, this figure has now surpassed 150,000–155,000 hectares.
Mammadov emphasized that the primary objective in grain farming is not so much to expand cultivated areas, but rather to increase productivity through the efficient use of existing land and water resources.
He noted that increasing the production of food-grade wheat is one of the key priorities of the state program. To this end, it's planned to expand the support program for food-grade wheat production.
According to the minister, while 126,000 tons of produce were generated under the food-grade wheat program in 2025, this figure exceeded 170,000 tons in 2026.
"A positive development is that, while the national average grain yield stands at 33–34 centners this year, yields in areas utilizing modern irrigation, under the food-grade wheat program, exceed 54 centners," Mammadov said.
He pointed out that the implementation of modern irrigation systems, the use of laser land-leveling technology, the planting of higher-quality seeds, and the application of modern agrotechnical practices are contributing positively to increased yields.
The minister added that the use of drones for fertilization and crop treatment also enables agricultural tasks to be carried out more efficiently and in a timely manner.
"Our next objective is not to expand the total cultivated area, but rather to achieve higher yields, and consequently, greater total production, from a smaller land footprint," he emphasized.
Mammadov also noted that integrating the rich agricultural potential of the liberated territories into the economic cycle is of significant importance to the successful implementation of the state program.
