Baku, May 13, Fund,
A meeting was held at the Agricultural Insurance Fund with the leadership and members of the Azerbaijan Cotton Producers Association from various regions to discuss insurance of cotton fields against different risks, address issues arising in this area, and raise awareness among cotton farmers.
According to the Fund,the Chairman of the Agricultural Insurance Fund, Fuad Sadigov, provided information on the implementation of agricultural insurance in the country, the work carried out in this field, and the current situation regarding cotton field insurance.
Fuad Sadigov noted that cotton is one of the crops most frequently insured and compensated in the country. Thanks to state support for agricultural insurance, farmers can insure their cotton fields by paying only half of the insurance premium.
It was highlighted that, to date, large compensation payments have been made to farmers in Aghdam, Aghjabadi, and other regions for damage caused to cotton fields by hail, floods, and other natural disasters. The insurance season for cotton sowing and fields is currently ongoing.
Chairman of the Azerbaijan Cotton Producers Association, Farid Firudinov, emphasized that about 16,000 farmers across the country are currently engaged in cotton cultivation under contracts, and that agricultural insurance plays a vital role for the sector.
One of the main issues discussed at the meeting was the timely insurance of cotton fields. It was noted that in some cases, farmers delay insuring their fields, and as a result, natural events such as hail, heavy rains, and floods cause significant damage to crops. Therefore, greater efforts are needed to raise farmers’ awareness of timely field insurance.
Another topic discussed was the process of investigating insurance claims. It was proposed that, when agricultural insurance experts inspect incident sites, representatives of relevant state bodies should also be involved in the process.
During the discussions, international experience in insuring cotton fields was also reviewed.
Fuad Sadigov informed participants about incidents and losses in cotton fields, reminding them that, starting from this year, the risk of heavy rains has also been included in the basic insurance package to better support farmers. This means that when farmers insure their cotton fields, their crops will also be covered against damage caused by rainfall.
The meeting concluded with a decision to organize a series of regional meetings, provide farmers with SMS notifications, and implement other measures to ensure broader awareness of agricultural insurance opportunities.