FROM OWN FARM

The course taken by Azerbaijan in the past few years to ensure its food security by developing the farming sector has stepped up activity practically in each segment of this country's agriculture. Correspondingly, positive changes can be seen in the livestock sector too, which is being restructured quite dynamically on the basis of intensive technologies. 

The president's reserve fund has earmarked 10m manat this year alone for the purchase of bloodstock. Alongside this, poultry farming is actively developing too, fully meeting the needs of the country's population for eggs and poultry meat. 

New strategy  

Successes achieved in this branch set the stage for efforts to hammer out a strategy for developing the livestock sector in which FAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organization) experts took an active part. The implementation of this is document designed to enhance food security, reduce poverty and increase farms' incomes over the next 10 years, calls for certain investments. According to local experts' evaluations, this document covers every aspect of the branch, such as control over pastures, genetic diversity of animals, efforts to improve the breeding herd and the animals' health, to provide them with feed, develop dairy farming and produce seafood. FAO experts examined the positive and negative aspects and came up with a document by implementing which current problems will be settled. It will encourage the competitive development of a commercially oriented livestock industry both at the local and the international levels.  Economic, social, cultural and environmental factors of the sector's development were taken into account in drawing up the document. 

Over the years of reforms, this country has made significant progress in efforts to increase its production and livestock population. The challenge on today's agenda is to improve the breeding herd both in terms of dairy and meat production. For this purpose, the government allocated funds for the purchase of pedigree livestock and the animals are being imported from European and CIS states. During 2005-2012, the Agrolizing joint stock company purchased 6,290 heads of pedigree stock and sold them to local farmers spending 22.86m manat on this purpose. 

Thus a step has been made towards pedigree livestock production including both cattle and small ruminants. Problems of meat and milk processing, packaging, storage, transportation and delivery to the sales network have been settled by setting up large stock breeding complexes. 

Here are some statistics. According to data from the animal husbandry department of the republic's Agriculture Ministry, as of 1 October 2013, there were about 2.8m heads of cattle and 8.8m heads of small ruminants kept on the country's private farmsteads and big livestock farms. Over the said period, farms produced more than 358,000 tonnes of meat in live weight which is up 3.8 % on last year; 1.4m tonnes of milk (6.6 % increase) and 1.04bn eggs while wool output grew to 16,300 tonnes. 

Financial and leasing aid to farms promoted their dynamic development and production growth. 

According to information from Cingiz Faracev, deputy head of the Azerbaijani Agriculture Ministry's department for production and processing of pasture produce, animal husbandry and breeding, the country has registered a noticeable growth in demand for meat and milk, so the main goal is to meet the needs as much as possible through domestic production.  The country has registered a noticeable growth in demand for meat and milk, so the main objective is to meet the needs as much as possible through domestic production.  Last year, 30 kg of meat was produced per capita. It is planned to increase this figure to 70 kg in the foreseeable future. Twelve modern dairy complexes have come into operation over the past few years of reforms in the republic's regions. Recently another three biggest livestock complexes came into service, each keeping 700 pedigree cows. 

New technologies  

It should be said that negative factors contributed to activity increase in this sphere: the population of pedigree buffaloes has been on the decline in this country lately. Their number in Azerbaijan dropped from 400,000 to 265,000 animals compared with previous years. The loss of the "black pearl" herd is 33 %. 

Moreover, the current year has seen cases of infectious diseases. Data are available on cows killed by bunyavirus. Specialists of the State Veterinary Service under the Agriculture Ministry reacted swiftly by taking large scale efforts and carrying out symptomatic treatment of 582 heads of cattle. Notwithstanding this, there were 148 officially registered deaths of animals. 

Let it be noted that the past three years have seen 60 additional private veterinary stations come into service. Twenty-five stations were opened before 2007, 30 in 2008, five since the beginning of 2013 and another six are to be set up before the end of this year; 180 specialists have been recruited to work at private veterinary stations. Efforts to develop the network of private veterinary stations are part of the second project for developing and crediting the farming sector. Those stations have been repaired and the necessary conditions have been provided for livestock insemination specialists. 

As regards measures to increase the livestock population, a programme for intensive artificial insemination of animals is under way in the country. The republic's centre for artificial insemination has been put into operation; the production of high quality semen has started. In 2012, 88,400 animals were inseminated artificially and produced 59,500 calves as the result. It is planned to inseminate 140,000 cows and buffalo caws using this method this year, 200,000 in 2014 and 300,000 in 2015. 

There are also new trend in goat farming. It developed successfully at all stages of this country's ancient history and is going over into a new form of developing pedigree livestock farming today, namely, stall barn housing. A number of European states have already gained positive experience within this trend which has now come to be used in Azerbaijan as well. Thus for instance early in 2013, a presentation of the first specialized goat farm was held on the grounds of a milk processing plant in Agabayli village in Agcabadi District. 

The first structures of that unusual farm appeared last year occupying an area of a few hectares. The premises for housing the animals were built with the use of special materials to keep the goats warm in winter. It is also planned to install air conditioners in the livestock sheds to keep normal temperature inside during sultry summer.  The farm is furnished with special purpose equipment. All the feeding processes are automated. Mechanical milking is used. There is a lab for milk quality testing. The farm is staffed with specialists and other workers. 

"The farm was set up in support of the state programme to ensure reliable supply of foodstuffs for the population in 2008-2015," said farm director Mulxazil Balakisiyev. Our investment project was backed at the republic's Economic Development Ministry and received 3.5m manat in a soft loan with the total cost of the farm exceeding 6m manat. An automated milking system will be brought into operation in the near future."  

Let it be pointed out that the open joint stock company Agrolizing has delivered 1,000 Saanen goats to Azerbaijan carrying out an order from the republic's Agriculture Ministry.  The goats have been accommodated on farms in the village of Agabayli. Altogether, it is planned to purchase over 40,000 heads of pedigree livestock. 

In a word, Azerbaijan's animal husbandry development trends are clear. As for the quality of its products, it has been able to meet the tastes of the most exacting consumers at all times and this attracts the attention of foreign customers. The main thing is to further maintain reputation and, when domestic needs have been met, to enter foreign markets with a good amount and a wide range of products.