A meeting dedicated to cotton growing was held at the Ministry of Agriculture. The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sarvan Jafarov, officials from the Ministry’s central office and subordinate bodies, members of the Cotton Producers Association, as well as heads of cotton procurement and processing companies.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sarvan Jafarov stated that cotton growing is one of the agricultural sectors with strong traditions in our country. It was noted that comprehensive measures are being implemented for the development of cotton production in Azerbaijan, and that state support for the sector continues.
At the meeting, information was provided about the contracts signed for cotton sowing in 2024 and the current status of planting. It was noted that by April 22, cotton processing and procurement companies across the country had signed contracts with 15,167 landowners for cotton production on 100.5 thousand hectares. Plowing had been completed on 98.3 thousand hectares of these lands, while harrowing had been carried out on 48.3 thousand hectares. As of now, cotton seeds have been sown on 38 thousand hectares across the country, and the sowing process continues in cotton-growing regions.
At the event, discussions were held on preparations for cotton production this year, upcoming tasks, the development of cotton growing, and set goals. Opinions were exchanged on expanding the use of innovative cultivation practices, modern irrigation technologies, and advanced methods; creating early-maturing, high-quality cotton varieties by research institutions; engaging specialists in the cotton sector in short-term training courses to enhance their knowledge and skills; as well as on issues related to the supply of machinery, fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, water, and the provision of subsidies. Feedback and proposals were recorded.
At the meeting, it was stated that the development of cotton seed production and meeting the demand for seeds through local production are among the priority tasks. It was emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing necessary measures to develop cotton seed production and establish seed farms. Participants spoke about the prospects for developing local cotton seed production and declared the necessity of further strengthening cooperation with the Plant Protection and Technical Crops Research Institute in relation to cotton seed production.
At the end of the discussions, it was announced that meetings in this format would continue, and relevant instructions were given for the prompt resolution of the issues raised.