Azersun News

New Stage in Agriculture of Azerbaijan

Thousands of hectares of empty land overgrown with wild plants during long years of non-exploitation in the Central Lowlands region has been has been revived and brought into a useful condition. Today sugar beet, soy, tomatoes, green beans, pepper, cucumber and sunflower is cultivated in these lands, revived by cooperate actions of agriculture specialists from America, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

These lands, allocated from a 3400 hectare empty field in Bilasuvar region chosen as pilot region, have been fully equipped with modern agricultural equipments brought from USA and Turkey by "Azersun holding". This project played a useful and important role in providing jobs to hundreds of people, solution of unemployment and poverty problems. Thanks to his project, Azerbaijani villagers learnt utilization regulations for modern equipment from specialists and coming back to these lands that were re-made into a feasible condition, started their agricultural activities.

Naturally, rapid increase of world population, pollution and reducing of productive lands has affected the food sector negatively. For this exact reason, "Azersun Holding" reckons import of modern equipment that plays an important role in development of agriculture from Europe, as one of the important conditions. By implementing development of agriculture in parallel with flatlands, Holding has set a mission to provide the prosperity of Azerbaijani villagers that have a big potential in agriculture field.

Agriculture has been equipped with last model of artificial sprinkler irrigation system of "Valmond International" and tractors and agro-technical equipment of "John Deer" Companies famous from USA for is agricultural technology. Along with these, technologies applied in Turkish agriculture are given preference to.

These lands in Bilasuvar, were brought in to a completely useless and inappropriate state for farming due to neglect two years ago and the area was used as pasture field. "Azersun Agriculture" LLC conducted development works in these lands for two years, and brought it into a completely appropriate condition for farming. Currently, experimental farming works are carried out in this field.

In contradistinction from oil, lack of enough number of water sources in Azerbaijan, especially irrigation in Central Lowland areas with hot summer months is remaining as a large obstacle for agriculture. But, this problem has been eliminated by modern technology using following method: drip irrigation method used in developed countries is applied here, and sprinkler-irrigation is used in fields depending on the sort of the crop. Water, obtained from artesian wells is carries out irrigation functions in fields using pressure equipment.

25 tomato sorts have been brought from different countries and been experimented on. It is necessary to note, that drip irrigation method was used for the first time in Azerbaijan in cultivation of tomatoes.

What is drip irrigation method?

Drip irrigation method is dripping pipes especially produced in factories for distributing water and fertilizer to plants in fields and gardens, using water that has been especially filtered and cleaned from sand, clay, and seaweed. This means a direct, minimal and often water and fertilizer irrigation of roots of the plants.

Advantages of drip irrigation

Larger areas can be irrigated with less amount of water using drip irrigation method. Irrigation can be carried out without causing erosion in inclined areas. Financial expenses for mordant and mechanical control of weeds, are reduced, as weeds do not grow between plants and trees due to the fact that the entire field is not irrigated.

As the entire area is not irrigated, workers and black oil used to break the earth layer crusted after irrigation to provide the earth with air and process the earth is saved on.

In other irrigation systems, fertilizer is distributed 3-4 times in one quarter and causes more loss. The fertilizer is washed to deeper layers of ground without being used by necessary plants and a part of fertilizer is assimilated by wild plants growing in between.

What is Sprinkler Irrigation Method?

Sprinkler irrigation is a system formed by pipes that locating heads sprinkling water to the surface of the ground in a form of small drops under a certain amount of pressure. On of the modern and effective irrigation methods is sprinkling the water to the air using a "gun" called "sprinkler" and obtaining a form of irrigation analogous to rain. In other methods, water is directly applied to the ground from its surface or from under the ground.

Sprinkling system, in general, is created by using a different number of "sprinklers". In the interim, each "sprinkler" is located on the pipeline with predetermined distance and covers desired area.

It is necessary to note, that as a result of working conducted until present time, crops have been obtained from a 1500 hectare area and during future years, it is intended to bring a 3400 hectare area into a condition that is useful for farming.

"Azersun Agriculture" has constructed an agricultural base on mentioned 3500 sq.m. area in Bilasuvar. A base with offices, storages and agricultural equipment has been put in commission. Thanks to, "Azersun Holding" the regional population has been provided with a job opportunity, as well as new knowledge in modern agriculture field.

Placement of funds to the area continues.

"Azersun Holding" Group of Companies' investments are not limited to agriculture. Here, "Azersun Holding" rapidly continuing its works within the framework of "State program for social-economical development of Regions" provides jobs to thousands of people by implementing new investments into non-oil sector.

New projects carried out in Imishli region in close proximity of Bilasuvar region:

Mixed food and vegetable oils agricultural-industrial complex (an agricultural-industrial complex to integrate 3 plants)

600 tons /day mixed foods
40 tons /day natural raw vegetable oil
Different sorts of large and small horned cattle food
Different sorts of bird and broiler food