THE GOLDEN FLEECE

In April, a shearing campaign is launched in sheep farms of Azerbaijan. Usually, the campaign is launched before the flocks are let into summer pastures. Shearing of each sheep takes about 15-20 minutes, and the shepherds manage to shear about 150 heads per day. This is implemented in the first half of the day, so that the sheep can go out to meadows and pastures.

Procurement of wool, obtaining of strong yarns for carpet weaving, etc. - one of the oldest occupations of rural residents in Azerbaijan. However, although at all times it has brought them profit and profit, in recent years interest in this type of production has been noticeably asleep, as a result of which production volumes have also decreased. 

Cattle breeding is one of the fastest growing branches of agriculture in Azerbaijan. The use of advanced experience and new achievements in agriculture is carried out at the fastest pace. The industry has acquired new qualities, and private farms are focused mainly on meat production, which, as expected, fundamentally changes the quality of small cattle herds.

Wool production has always been a trailing job for sheep breeders. Wool is of great economic importance in our life: as a rule, woolen threads are obtained from the wool, which later are used in carpet weaving, production of blankets and mattresses. Woolen fabrics are produced in light industry. That is why the "golden fleece" was highly valued at all times. The advanced economies of Europe even breed a special kind of sheep, which gives high-quality fibers.

Each sheep yields an average of 2 kg or more of wool annually. The increased number of sheep, respectively, should give rise to wool production. However, the volumes of final output do not satisfy the supply. Enterprises engaged in the procurement of wool complain about the low level of sales and the fact that it has been lying in warehouses for years and is deteriorating. Products are sold in dirty as well as pure. Dirty wool is sold at a price of ₼1 per kilogram, and clean - for ₼3-4. But the products are not sold even when they are cheap, although one woolen handmade palas costs ₼600-700 - almost 10 times more than the costs for raw materials required.

Expert Vahid Maharramov believes that sheep should be bred to produce wool. There is a strong demand for quality wool in world markets. In Azerbaijan, the breed of sheep is mixed, and therefore the quality of the wool is not very high. For this reason, Azerbaijani wool does not enjoy sufficient demand in world markets.

According to another expert, Chingiz Farajev, farmers cannot sell wool because nobody is dealing with this issue seriously. "Once, there was a wool processing plant in Yevlakh. All the wool produced by rural enterprises was sent to this combine, where it was processed and exported. Therefore, the national economy received a large amount of foreign currency. However, since 1999 until today, this plant is closed. The wool of local farmers remains unclaimed, rotting in basements," notes the expert.

Mr. Farajov suggests opening wool-processing enterprises. He stressed that in Azerbaijan they mainly produce coarse wool, which is mostly good for carpets. In addition, enterprises of industrial carpets weaving are being created in the country. The production association Azerkhalcha can produce a wide range of products from this type of wool and sell it on the world markets. Thus, the profit from the sale of carpets will increase.

The livestock farmers themselves point out, as the main problem, the lack of harvesting stations that can ensure the reception and procurement of products. By the way, this very moment was highlighted in the recent speech by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. "As far as I know, we have only one procurement facility. This is of course unacceptable. It is necessary to create at least 10 procurement centres in different regions this year. There should also be a centralized policy for local production and export. We should use these opportunities. We need to take comprehensive measures", said President.

Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev held a special meeting in Yevlakh, where he discussed issues of expanding the wool production, creating a procurement system, building a plant for primary processing of wool, and organizing the sale of finished products in domestic market and abroad. It is important to find a raw material base, choose a model of the procurement system, involve the private sector, learn advanced experience in processing wool from countries such as China, Australia, Kazakhstan, as well as systems of technical specification and certification, advanced world experience.

"The collection of wool is carried out in all rural regions, and the volume of annual harvesting on the average is just over 17 thousand tons," says Shaig Azimov, head of the production sector of the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry continues to actively search for foreign consumers in Germany and France but the appeals of the department remain unanswered. Entrepreneurs also do not show proper activity. "There was a large sheep farm in Lerik. A large number of products have accumulated in its warehouse. And the farmers have lost interest in the export of wool," said Azimov.

The Ministry of Agriculture has developed the "State Program of Azerbaijan on development of production and processing of products made of wool and leather for 2017-2021". Specialists strive to achieve the development of sheep breeding in enclosed premises, to reduce losses, to increase production and raise the export potential to 10 thousand tons of wool.

It turns out that for the development of this area of cattle breeding, it is of utmost importance to create procurement facilities, arrange the wool processing at relevant enterprises. There is no need to reinvent the wheel - the countries of Europe have rich experience in processing wool, there are high-tech equipment capable of producing quality products, which will be bought abroad. Today, the main task is to empty the warehouses of local entrepreneurs from unrealized wool and recycle it. This will benefit both entrepreneurs and the state.