BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 27
By Fidan Babayeva – Trend:
The modern irrigation systems will be introduced in Azerbaijan to achieve high efficiency of agricultural production without wasting water, Chairman of the Agrarian Credit and Development Agency under the Azerbaijani Ministry of Agriculture Mirza Aliyev said, Trend reports referring to the Agency.
"Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s order on measures to finance the benefits which are given to agricultural producers through the state budget will become another incentive to expand the introduction of modern technologies in the agricultural sector and increase the efficiency of agricultural production," Aliyev said.
“The funds allocated upon President Aliyev’s order will be directed to the acquisition of the modern irrigation systems,” the chairman said.
"The state paid about 30 million manat ($17.6 million) in the form of concessions to the farmers for the purchase of modern irrigation systems in 2019-2020,” Aliyev said. “We will give priority to the promotion of the introduction of irrigation systems in the country. It is possible to achieve high productivity by using water efficiently and without losses."
The chairman emphasized that preferential and interest-free loans which are issued by the state make modern irrigation systems more accessible to the farmers.
"Over the past six months of 2020, the state provided farmers with benefits worth 34.8 million manat ($20.5 million) for the purchase of equipment and 10 million manat ($5.9 million) for the purchase of pedigree livestock," Aliyev added.
Some 20 million manat ($11.8 million) were allocated from the president’s reserve fund and the state budget for each of these purposes upon the president’s order dated July 24, 2020 to meet the need for funds arising in connection with the need to use agricultural machinery, technological equipment and irrigation systems.
In particular, 40 million manat ($23 million) was allocated to the Agency.
The agricultural producers are provided with benefits and loans for the purchase of equipment and pedigree livestock in accordance with the Rules for the Use of Funds of the Agricultural Credit and Development Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, approved upon the president’s decree dated December 19, 2018.
Farmers receive a forty percent discount for the purchase of machinery and sixty percent discount for the purchase of pedigree livestock.
(1 USD = 1.7 AZN on July 27)
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