Azerbaijan

The objectives are as follows:

• To identify agricultural inputs dealers and create an agricultural inputs dealers’ association;
   
• To promote growth of the agricultural inputs dealers’ businesses;
   
• To increase sales volume of agricultural inputs—fertilizers, seeds, crop protection products (CPPs)—and simultaneously increase farm-level productivity.

The project is providing business and technical training and access to credit and has helped form a trade association of agricultural inputs dealers. Through this association, members are working to improve agricultural inputs policy, laws and regulations and provide information and other support services for members and their farmer clients. In addition, field demonstrations and technology transfer programs are being offered to dealers and their farmer clients.

The Azerbaijan project has accomplished the following:

• The Azerbaijan Agricultural-Input Dealers Association (AKTIVTA) has been created with a membership of 92 dealers providing inputs for more than 42,000 farmers.
   
• The Association members stopped incorrect levy of customs duty for imported potatoes.
   
• Six dealers were granted loans amounting to US $54,000.
   
• One Association member supplied 100 tons of first-quality apples to an international catering company.
   
• Continuous project efforts resulted in increasing potato production by 15% to a total of 115,000 tons.
   
• Three greenhouses have been set up and are operating.
   
• A total of 6,650 publications on various topics were developed and distributed.
   
• During 22 events, 479 dealers and farmers received training on various topics.
   
• Technical extension information and advice on potato production led to a 15% increase in the main producing regions in southern and western Azerbaijan.
   
• A mix of improved agronomic practices such as new seed potato varieties, appropriate disease control, and fertilizer application rates have had positive impacts on yields and production increase.
   
• During June 2004, for example, 17 seminars and open field days were conducted; 180 agricultural input dealers and 362 progressive farmers attended.
   
• A one-hour presentation on AKTIVTA was made on the television program, “Dialogue.” During the hour, 1,000 viewers phoned the national television station and requested information about AKTIVTA, its activities, etc. Most questions from viewers concerned credit, disease control, and farmers’ best practices.
   
• The project disseminated thousands of publications, published numerous articles in newspapers, and participated in several television documentaries broadcasted at regional and national levels.

Return to Programs/Projects