Azerbaijan, Baku, July 16 / Trend /
BP and its co-venturers in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG), Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC), Shah Deniz (SD), and South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) projects have recently launched a community project to set up greenhouse agriculture in the Goranboy district of Azerbaijan, BP reported.
The ultimate aim of the project is to foster sustainable economic development opportunities for the communities along the BTC and SCP pipelines.
The project will cover four selected villages and one settlement along the pipelines. These are Nadirkand, Jinli Boluslu, Azizbayov, Yolpaq and Gazanbulag communities.
"Through implementation of this project the neighbouring communities will receive a wide range of benefits and these will include supply of vegetable seeds, commissioning of 27 greenhouses and associated equipment," BP's Sustainable Development Initiative Manager Ibrahim Ismayilov said.
"In addition, the project will provide required agricultural skills and knowledge to the community members including greenhouse construction training, greenhouse set-up, plant cultivation, on-going operation of a greenhouse and business plan development. Trainings will also cover knowledge on types of crops best suited to greenhouse growing, pest and disease control, and fertilization," Ismayilov added.
The expected outcomes of the project are: improved income potential of the communities through newly-established facilities and increased productivity; increased agricultural capacity including new skills and knowledge; expanded market opportunities; increased business management and technical capacity of the farmers.
The total value of the project is about $196,000 of which BP and co-venturers' share is over $171,000. The community shall contribute the remaining part - about $25,000. The project which has started in June 2010 will continue until November 2011.
The project will be implemented by Ganja Agribusiness Association (GABA) - a local non-governmental organisation established in 1996. GABA was selected to deliver the project based on a competitive selection exercise conducted as part of the solicitation process within BP and co-venturers' Sustainable Development Initiative along the BTC and SCP pipelines.