Yagub GuliyevAgrarian Science and Information Advisor Service, Azerbaijan

Agricultural Research and InnovationsNational needs and priorities

29 February- 02 March, 2016, Bishkek

Azerbaijan is home to one of the earliest human habitats, contributing to the creation and progress of mankind’s global culture Azerbaijan is situated on the south-eastern part of the Caucasus, which stretches from the Black to the Caspian SeaAccording to the character of orography, vegetation and topsoil, Azerbaijan is roughly divided into 5 climatic zones: the Greater Caucasus, the Lesser Caucasus, Nakhchivan, Lenkoran and Kur- Araz The territory of Azerbaijan is surrounded by Major Caucasus, Minor Caucasus and Talish mountain chains. The Kur-Araz lowland is situated among these mountain chains.

Geographical context

Armenia

Caspean Sea

RussiaGeorgia

Iran

Total area: 86.6 Km2

Mountains: 58%

Plains and flat areas: 42%

Agricultural lands: 4.76 million hectare

Crop area: 1.8 million hectare

Forests: 12% of total area

Population: 9.6 million

Rural population: 48% of total population

Land and Population

♣ 48% of population live in rural areas

♣ 1.55 million of total 4,05 milion employed population or 38,3% is engaged in agriculture;♣ Female employment in Azerbaijan-48,4%♣ Female employment in agriculture- 56,2%♣ Contribution of agriculture in GNP -6.9%.

.

Employment

Following agrarian reforms that commenced in 1995, 1.3 million ha of land have been privatized to approximately 817,700 families. In addition, there are over 620,000 household farms, with an average size of 2.8 Ha (FAO). Agricultural production is undertaken on the farmland distributed to the residents from state farms and collective plots, and backyard / kitchen gardens, in three main agro-ecological zones:1. Lowlands, dry/hot, irrigated2. Uplands-lower precipitation, irrigated3. Uplands-higher precipitation

Farm structure

Distribution of agricultural lands among farm types

STATE OF RURAL ADVISORY SERVICE

Policy environment

♣ Government policies in Azerbaijan are set out in legislative documents, programmes with set timeframes and objectives enacted on the basis of presidential decrees

♣ The country use “Development strategy of agrarian-industrial complex of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2015-2020”, which defines the long term priorities.

♣ The programmes are used as basis for establishment of institutions; state owned commercial entities as well as support programmes required for their implementation.

♣ The low on agricultural information-advisory service has been submitted to the Parliament for approval

Key players in AIS

♦ Ministry of Agriculture

♦ Agrarian Science Center

♦ Regional Agrarian Science Centers

♦ Research Institutes and their experimental stations

♦ Private companies and non-government organisations♦ Input dealers

♦ Traders

♦ Agency for International Projects and Planning

Reforms in agricultural research and extension system

Agricultural research and extension system in Azerbaijan has undergone profound changes in 2015. ♦ Some research institutes with similar mandate were merged.♦ Research Institute of Agricultural Mechanization was subordinated to National Academy of Sciences♦ Number of research institutes under Ministry of Agriculture reduced from 13 down to 8.♦ Agrarian Science Center renamed and now it is called Agrarian Science and Information Advisory Center responsible for organization of research and extension activities.

.

.

Current structure of Public Information –Advisory SystemAgrarian Science and Information-Advisory Center

Ganjaə RASIAS

Kürdamir RASIAS

Beylagan RASIAS

Tərtar RASIAS

Shaki RASI

AS

Salyan RASIAS

Lankaran RASIAS

Guba RASIAS

Agricultural Development goals.

♦ Goal 1. Achieving National Food Security

♦ Goal 2. Improving Rural Livelihoods

Goal 3. Improving Natural Resource Management

Extension objectives and functions

♦ Objective No 1. Transferring New Agricultural Technologies to Achieve National Food Security

♦ Objective No 2. Increasing Farm Income to Improve Rural Livelihoods

Objective No 3. Training Farmers to Use Sustainable Natural Resource Management Practices

Main sub-sector in agriculture

Priority crops Priority animals♦ Wheat Cattle♦ Barley Sheep♦ Maize Goat♦ Rice Buffalo ♦ Vegetables Poultry♦ Potato ♦ Food legumes♦ Grape♦ Cotton♦ Sugar beet

Crop production Animal Husbandry

The first initiative to establish RAS

♦To solve the problems regional advisory centers (RAC) have been established in the framework of Agricultural Development and Credit Project financed by the World Bank. ♦ This project commenced in 2000 and completed in 2011♦Within this project 10 regional advisory centers have been established in the country.♦These centers identified farmers’ needs for information on crop varieties, animal breeds, improved technologies etc♦ They established relations between farmers and researchers♦ Unfortunately these centers have not been integrated to Ministry of Agriculture and they collapsed after completion of the project in 2011

Existing network of RAS

♦ Existing network is Ministry-based agricultural extension or advisory services. Traditional technology transfer system for staple food crops Public research and extension

With increasing globalization, private agribusiness firms are generating new proprietary technologies, thereby progressively replacing some types of public research technologies, including the supporting advisory services, especially for the major food and fiber crops.

Genetics, seeds and inputs

On-farm production

Post-harvest handling and processing

Marketing and exporting

End users and consumers

Key players in knowledge dissemination system

ASC

Research InstitutesRASCs

Agrarian University

Exp. stations

Private supply and trade companies

Private companies & NGOs

International projects,

State Managerial bodies

Agrarian Science and Information Advisory Center is a responsible organization

Constraints in agricultural sector

♦ low productivity in crop and livestock production♦ Salinization of arable lands ♦ Degradation of natural resources♦ most small-scale farmers would not be competitive in a dynamic agricultural economy.♦ rural–urban migration is becoming a serious problem in the country ♦ Lack of organized farmers group (including women farmers, different types of producer groups) that could be supported to have easy access to markets ♦ fragmentation of agricultural lands

Constraints in agricultural sector-cont.

♦ soil nutrient depletion is occurring in the country

♦ water scarcity is already becoming more acute in the region,

♦ There is a need for public extension system in the country to give higher priority and to allocate more resources to educating farmers how to use low-cost, sustainable natural resource management practices

Thank you for your attention!