BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 7
By Fidan Babayeva – Trend:
The actual beneficiaries of agricultural subsidies will be determined by the end of the year through the e-Agriculture Information System in Azerbaijan, while the best farmers will be identified by obtaining statistics on purchases from suppliers, a source in the Agrarian Credit and Development Agency under the Azerbaijani Ministry of Agriculture told Trend.
“Suppliers enter the information on goods in warehouses and sales into the e-Agriculture Information System,” the source said. "The system helps them track the goods remaining in warehouses and obtain other data. The new system also allows identifying those who use subsidies. After analyzing this information, a decision will be made whether the remaining non-cash part of the amount will be stored on farmers' bank cards.”
As of July 6, subsidies worth 241 million manat ($141 million) were paid to farmers in Azerbaijan.
The new subsidy mechanism entered into force in 2020, and about 505,245 farmers have been registered in the e-Agriculture Information System.
"So far, 241 million manat ($141 million) have been paid to 388,407 farmers, 334,600 of them were provided with subsidies for autumn crops, 34,800 farmers – with subsidies for spring crops," the agency said.
"In total, 164.8 million manat ($96.9 million) was paid to farmers for the autumn crops from February through May 2020," the agency said.
The total land area registered in e-Agriculture Information System for getting subsidies for autumn crops reached over 1 million hectares, the source said.
The Agrarian Credit and Development Agency was established under the Azerbaijani Ministry of Agriculture in accordance with the Azerbaijani president’s decree dated October 23, 2004, on measures to improve governance in the agricultural sector, as an executive body, ensuring attraction and use of loans for state support of individuals and legal entities engaged in entrepreneurial activity in the agricultural sector.
(1 USD = 1.7 AZN on July 7)
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