Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 26
By Kamala Mammadli – Trend:
Azerbaijani farmers received the additional profit worth about 13 million manats due to an increase in purchase prices for raw cotton in 2018, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Agriculture.
The purchase prices for cotton varieties increased by 50 manat per ton in 2018 to encourage farmers and improve their welfare.
So, the price for the first grade cotton grown in 2018 increased from 600 manats to 650 manats, the price for the second grade cotton - from 580 manats to 630 manats, the price for the third grade cotton - from 540 manats to 590 manats, the price for the fourth grade cotton from 500 manats to 550 manats.
Presently, 1,058 manats account for the expenses for agricultural work in the cotton industry per hectare of land. This work includes soil preparation, agrotechnical measures, purchase and sowing of seeds, expenses for cultivation, harvesting and other expenses.
As far as the average productivity increases, the net income of farmers also increases.
The net profit reaches 520 manats per hectare with the productivity of 20 centners, 850 manats per hectare with the productivity of 25 centners,1,300 manats per hectare with the productivity of 30 centners.
Taking into account that this year 101,100 hectares of land accounted for cotton in Azerbaijan, farmers can get the net profit worth over 52 million manats with an average productivity of 20 centners, more than 85 million manats with an average productivity of 25 centners, and over 130 million manats with an average productivity of 30 centners.
A great part of the income of cotton growers accounts for subsidies paid to farmers by the state. The state subsidizes up to 70 percent of the cost of fertilizers, farmers receive fertilizers, paying only 30 percent of their value.
In addition, subsidies worth 100 manats are paid to the producers for one ton of raw cotton.
In total, the state paid subsidies to 15,327 cotton growers from 23 regions of the country in the amount of 23,038,900 manats for 230,400 tons of raw cotton in 2018.
(1 USD = 1.7 AZN on Sept. 26)
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