The current situation in grain farming and preparations for spring crops - MEETINGS WITH FARMERS IN THE REGIONS CONTINUE
The delegation of the Office of the Ministry of Agriculture has started a series of meetings in the regions regarding the current state of grain farming and preparations for spring crops. At the meetings, opinions are exchanged on the current state of grain fields, payment of subsidies for autumn crops, irrigation issues, provision of fertilizers, organization of the fight against weeds and pests in the fields, preparations for spring crops, the progress of the declaration process and other topics. The heads of local bodies of the ministry, representatives of irrigation systems departments, heads of the local executive structure and other officials take part in meetings with farmers.
The first meetings were held in Jalilabad and Bilasuvar regions. Rafail Guliyev, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, who spoke at the meetings, said that the correct organization of agrotechnical maintenance measures in grain fields has a direct impact on the increase in productivity. Farmers should follow the regulations correctly when applying fertilizer to the fields. At present, urea fertilizer is more widely used in grain-growing areas of the republic. Urea fertilizer has several advantages over the previously more widely used ammonium salt. This fertilizer is given to the plant in the form of feeding by physical weight, 200 kilograms per hectare. In the second half of April, it is given by dissolving 200-250 liters of water, 20-30 kilograms per hectare in the form of extra-root feeding. Urea fertilizer increases the bushing coefficient of the plant. At the same time, it prolongs the green period of the plant, which results in better filling of the grain, better development of the spike, and an increase in quality indicators.
The official of the ministry noted that the seed sowing in cotton fields will start from the second decade of April. It is important for farmers to properly conduct the preparation process for planting, to plow the fields. Global climate changes, like many areas, have not affected agriculture, especially the decrease of precipitation, the decrease of the water level in rivers increases the demand for farm water during the intensive irrigation period. The demand for water in the areas placed in the middle is relatively less compared to other areas. For this reason, farmers should properly prepare the fields for planting, and the land should be plowed in order to insure possible problems related to irrigation during the hot summer months.
During the meeting, opinions were exchanged on the issues of choosing the right seeds for spring crops, forming an electronic application for receiving subsidies, and providing farmers with fertilizers, equipment, and pesticides. It was noted that only product subsidy will be given for cotton this year. The price of product subsidy has been increased from 100 manats to 170 manats per ton. In addition, the companies increased the purchase price of cotton from farmers by 50 manats per variety. In order to receive crop subsidy, farmers are not required to have a document confirming the ownership of the land. However, farmers must declare their crops in the Electronic Agricultural Information System, regardless of the type of land where cotton is planted, and enter the coordinates of the cultivated area into the system. Farmers who do not declare their cotton fields in the system will not receive electronic applications for subsidies.
The farmers agreed to the subsidies at the beginning of the year and said that they spent the funds allocated by the state on agricultural production tools such as fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds. Farmers' questions were answered in detail at the meetings, and the suggestions made were recorded.
The next meetings will be held in Neftchala and Salyan regions.
