SAATLI, Azerbaijan, June 23. Advance payment of
a portion of the subsidy for agrotechnical maintenance in
horticulture will also be an important support mechanism in
Azerbaijan, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ilhama Gadimova said,
Trend's
correspondent reports from the event.


She made the remark at a regional consultation on the Mil-Mughan
economic region, held in Saatli to discuss the State Program for
the Development of Agricultural Production and Processing,
Fisheries, and Aquaculture in Azerbaijan for 2026–2030.


"Pre-payment of a part of the subsidy intended for agrotechnical
maintenance in horticulture will also be an important support
mechanism. Because pruning, fertilization, disease and pest
control, irrigation, and other maintenance measures in horticulture
must be carried out on time. The farmer's financial ability at the
beginning of the season directly affects the quality of these
measures," the deputy minister explained.


According to her, it's envisaged to apply the certification
subsidy.







"Global G.A.P. and organic certificates are an important
condition for access to export markets. We should not only produce
products, but also present them in accordance with the standards
required by international markets. The application of product
subsidies for apples and pomegranates is also important in terms of
encouraging producers in horticulture. This will serve both to
increase productivity and to develop export-oriented
horticulture.


Livestock breeding is also one of the main directions of the
state program. In particular, in the cattle breeding sector,
increasing milk and beef production, increasing the share of
pedigree animals in the herd, reducing dependence on imports, and
increasing the level of self-sufficiency have been identified as
the main goals.


It's planned to increase milk production by 10% and beef
production by 20% by 2030. It's planned to increase the share of
pedigree animals in the herd to 10%. The goal is to reduce milk
imports by 49.6% and beef imports by 40.2%. An increase of 8.5 % in
milk and 11.5% in beef is also planned for the level of
self-sufficiency. To achieve these goals, it is planned to create
dairy and beef clusters, form about 1,000 new farms with various
capacities within the cluster, and support the provision of these
farms with pedigree animals. In addition, the establishment of 90
milk collection points and 15 skin collection points will be
supported. This serves not only to establish production in
livestock, but also to establish a supply, processing, and sales
chain, " Gadimova noted.