Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20
By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:
Azerbaijan continues to import high-yield potato seed varieties, mainly from Russia, Emin Aliyev, chairman of the State Seed Fund under Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Agriculture, told Trend.
He noted that in December last year, Azerbaijan imported from Russia the newest potato seed variety, which has high yields and reproduction.
He said that in 2017, this seed variety was entered into the state register after it passed preliminary registration and certification.
“The average yield of the imported Russian seed variety is 40-45 tons per hectare. It will be grown in the southern regions, mainly in Jalilabad, and in its environs,” Aliyev added. “The seeds are distributed among farmers in the southern part of Azerbaijan, they have already sown the new variety and the harvesting is expected within three months.”
Emin Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan imports over 98 percent of potato seeds.
“In the future, we plan to reduce imports, and to this end, concrete steps are being taken,” he said. “In particular, Azerbaijan has begun production of seeds of virus-free potatoes in order to create a productive seed base and reduce dependence on imports to a certain extent.”
The State Seed Fund was established under the Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan by order of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to meet the country’s increased need for new high-yielding and drought-resistant types of seeds and, in general, to strengthen Azerbaijan’s food safety.
