THE OTHER BREAD

With the government now more interested in developing various forms of agriculture in Azerbaijan, local farmers are increasingly interested in reviving branches of the agrarian sector that were once highly efficient, but were then practically forgotten in the first years of independence. This affected certain types of plant cultivation especially hard, grain cultivation in particular. And while government stimulihave revived the cultivation of wheat, other crops - corn, barley, and rice - have still not gained their former levels of production. The last of these, however, is different - rice has already shown signs of progress. 

Surrendered ground

Today the share of rice in grain production is miniscule. Out of the overall production of cerealsthat was over 1.6m tonnes in 2014, only 4,000-5,000 tonnes were rice. Why is there such a large difference? Rice is a unique human staple with its own cultivation techniques. For centuries it was grown in the fields of the subtropics, where manual labor was the main method of cultivation, resulting in many occupational diseases among rice farmers. In addition, rice is a crop that requires a lot of heat and moisture, meaning that rice fields, or paddies, are completely flooded. In Azerbaijan rice was initially grown in fields of the Saki-Zaqatali,Lankaran-Astara and Araneconomic regions. With strongly developing grain cultivation, the production of rice began to lose ground- the area of land given over to the production of rice in Azerbaijan was 4463 hectares in 2000, with that number falling further to 1640 hectares in 2010. While domestic rice production had reached 22,335 tonnes in 2000, by 2009 it had fallen to 4,482 tonnes. Production of the valuable crop began to decrease in the Saki-Zaqatali andAranregions, as well as in Goycay, Yevlax, Ucar and Zardabi districts.Only therice farmersof the Agdas districthave kept up to their previous levels of production, gathering and preparing 2,284 tonnes of excellent rice in 2009. 

A historic tradition

As mentioned earlier, traditionally rice is grown in the subtropics, where its cultivation is most convenient, which explains why rice cultivation took root where it did in Azerbaijan. At first residents of these regions valued rice more than wheat, leading to rice taking an important place in traditional local cuisine. To meet their own demands for the crop, the people of Lankaran-Astararegionactively cultivated rice. History tells us that in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries rich merchants from these parts exported rice, flax, silk, vegetables, and fish to the markets of Russia, trade with which aided the development of industry, education, and healthcare in the city of Lankaran. During the Soviet five-year plans the volume of rice stores took a significant drop, and the region began to receive rice shipments from Krasnodar Territory. By order of the Central Committee of the CPSUrice paddies were drained and vegetable gardens laid out in their place. In so doing this bountiful region was turned into the Soviet Union's garden. Moscow had large shortages of early vegetables, and in the 1970s Muscovites stood in line as early as late April for the season's first fresh cabbage from Lankaran. 

Times changed, the USSR collapsed, and after land reforms in the region rice growing began to make a comeback. In accordance with the state program for socioeconomic development in the provinces in 2004-2008, the region saw an increase of 500 hectares in cultivated land given over to rice, while crop yield was brought to 8,000-10,000kgfrom each area unit. By 2000 the Lankaran-Astaraeconomic regionwas already producing 19,372 tonnes of rice, which made up more than 86 percent of the republic's rice harvest. Residents of Lankarangrew such well-known types of rice as Cilom, Sadri, and Anbarbu, and at a local laboratory scientific experiments were carried out on the creation of new and improved types of rice. 

However, later onfarmers began to reduce the size of the plots because they lacked the necessary special equipment. Whereas in 2000 fields sown with rice totaled 1,584 hectares in Astara district, 400 in Lankaran, and 372 in Masalli, by 2010 rice paddies had been reduced to a low 214 hectares, and in LankaranandMasallihad disappeared altogether. Production of rice had practically come to a standstill. 

Second wind

Then this spring a subdivision of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR) called Astara Baglary LLC, which works on the revival of tea growing and cultivation of other subtropical crops, took out a lease on a thirty-hectare plot in Lankaran district. Locals began to tend the paddies, which were sown with Turkish varieties of rice and Iranian Hashemi rice. An excellent harvest resulted, which will be gathered with the help of a rice-harvesting machine, delivered this spring by OJSCA groleasing. The sowing is also done by specialized machines. While manually sewing an area of that size once took a month, with the help of technology it took only one day this year. According to local agronomist MuttafiqIsrafilov using small equipment will increase the crop yield of the rice.In addition, an irrigation system is intended to provide the plants with abundant water. Farmerswill get water from the Xanbulagcayreservoir and distribute it among irrigation canals. Despite this year's dry summer, the rice planted did not lack for moisture. Experts believe that using these techniques will lower the cost of production, as well as widening the area available for ride paddies. According to Teyyub Rzayev , head of the LankaranState Regional Centre for Subtropical Crops, an agreement has been reached with colleagues from Krasnodar Territory in Russia on the delivery of fine varieties of rice.The center itself works on the cultivation of future types of local rice, fifty tonnes of which will be delivered to Azerbaijani farmers.

The rice farmers ofLankaran and Astaradistrictsare now preparing for the gathering of a new harvest. Land owners who have turned their property into rice fields are satisfied with their decision. Experts say that crop yield may reach an estimated 5,000-7,000 kg per hectare, and for this reason some farmers already want to turn fields in Lankaran district into rice paddies. Aside from the direct revenue from the sale of rice, its cultivation in the region may have a positive effect on the surrounding fauna: birds may fly in for the winter, which would contribute to the development of hunting grounds, fish reproduction, and livestock cultivation. One might say that Azerbaijan is already on its way to self-sufficiency in yet another important agricultural product.