Agricultural Development and Credit Project During Soviet times, Azeri farmers worked the land in cooperatively, reaping equal benefits and receiving information from experts located on each farm. Some 20 to 30 percent of the population was involved in the agricultural sector. Since independence in 1991 however, unemployment has soared in Azerbaijan and today half of the country's population relies on the agricultural sector for their livelihood, including many who are new to farming.  In Ganja District, in the west of the country, families with an average of five people depend on two or three hectares of land. Optimal output on these farms is therefore vital for these families to survive; however many are inexperienced farmers.
In order to address this problem, the World Bank-funded Agricultural Development and Credit Project ( ADCP) has supported, among other components, the establishment of regional advisory services for farmers. Ganja Business Group (GBG) was contracted by the project in 2002 to provide farmers in the western provinces of the country with information on everything from seed quality and pest control to cattle breeding and product packaging. A survey of over 2,000 farmers in the region provided the GBG with an understanding of what concerns needed to be addressed. Since the centre opened, farmers in the area have been able to increase their poultry breeding sevenfold Sayyed Suleymanov, 42, has only been farming in the area for four years, but already he has seen the positive changes in his production thanks to information provided by the project. "Before the center was established, I only harvested two or three tons of wheat per hectare, but now, since the information center started operating, I've increased my yield to between six and seven tones per hectare." Before the GBG Centers were established, Suleymanov was only able to breed 1,000-1,500 chickens per year, but now that number has increased greatly to between 7,000 and 8,000, thanks to the knowledge he has received from the center. GBG Information Centers have been established in the villages and districts within the Ganja region. The main center is located in the city of Ganja and all are equipped with the same basic resources. Samples of seeds, product packaging, diseased plants, etc. cover the walls; alongside are hung posters, agricultural documents, and feeding information.  | Tarbia Usabova consultant (right)
explains some agricultural information
in one of the local GBG Information Centers
(Photos by Rafail Shakirov) |
Local farmers are welcome to drop by and use the resource materials available. They can also receive informational support and attend training seminars and workshops. The centers also provides the farmers with up-to-date information on local agricultural market prices, including the current cost of equipment and the latest technologies available. One of the main goals of GBG is to provide information booklets on a regular basis to the farmers in the regions regarding all aspects of agriculture related to the area. Twenty-nine consultants represent the GBG, distributing 2,000 to 2,500 copies of the monthly brochures to farmers in over 150 villages. Two-hundred-fifty different brochures have already been printed providing relevant information regarding all aspects of agriculture for farmers in Western Azerbaijan. The consultants also visit the farms and make notes regarding the farmers’ concerns which are included in an end-of-month report. Loans Help Put New Knowledge Into Practise However information means little if farmers do not have enough resources to apply their new-found knowledge in pratice. Access to financial resources is recognized as one of the key challenges to agricultural development in the country in general, and in Ganja area in particular. Surveys show that 90 percent of farmers need loans to support their business. ADCP is addressing this problem by combining information support with loans to farmers. Over the past year, 1,500 farmers in the Ganja area have received credits from the project funds. "Before the center opened, we worked very hard, but there was little we managed to accomplish with the land" explains 48-year-old Hasan Jafarov. " Now, since I've been given so much information, I understand how to use fertilizer and what tilling us. I know how much to feed them, and what to give them. It's important because I've only got four hectares of land, five cows, and ten sheeps, but there are thirteen mouths to feed in my family." * * * Read more about the Agricultural Development and Credit Project |
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