"The new subsidy will also serve the oligarch-bureaucrats and ordinary villagers…"

The Agricultural Subsidy Council has announced the introduction of a new type of subsidy. According to the institution's decision, starting next year, an additional 60 manat per hectare subsidy will be provided for fields using modern irrigation systems. It is stated that subsidies for repeated crops will only apply to irrigated areas starting from 2025.

According to official data, in Azerbaijan, in 2020, 68.6 thousand hectares, in 2021, 42.2 thousand hectares, in 2022, 101.4 thousand hectares, and in 2023, 178.3 thousand hectares of crops were completely destroyed due to drought.

A farmer from the Saatli region, who requested anonymity, told RAdio Azadlıq that he has been irrigating a 3-hectare area with a bucket for years: "I grow and tend watermelons and melons. I work so hard for this. Half of the watermelons I plant are destroyed, they burn. There is no water. Sometimes you see the melons are bitter because I am forced to irrigate with brackish water."

He says he cannot afford to install modern irrigation systems: "I barely support my family. These systems are expensive."

The Ministry of Agriculture informed "Turan" that the goal of the "green" subsidy is to support the efficient use of water and environmental protection in the agricultural sector starting from 2025: "Our country's land and water resources are limited. Therefore, the efficient use of water and soil resources constitutes the core of agriculture."

It was emphasized that the state supports farmers in establishing modern irrigation systems: "On June 5 this year, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the Rules for providing state guarantees for loans for the purchase of modern irrigation systems to business entities that have signed contracts with the Ministry of Agriculture. According to the rule, the 280 million manat loan portfolio provided to business entities is guaranteed by the state up to 168 million manat."

According to the institution, innovative irrigation systems are currently being applied on 119,500 hectares across the country: "In addition, pivot irrigation systems and drip systems are used on 60,000 hectares. Recent years have seen a near doubling of productivity and a 2.5-fold reduction in water consumption in farms applying modern irrigation systems. Over the past five years, 93.3 million manat has been allocated in subsidies for the establishment of irrigation systems on 38,200 hectares through the Ministry of Agriculture." (Pivot irrigation is a type of irrigation carried out with a mobile irrigation machine, without using numerous pipes and equipment.)

Agricultural expert Vahid Məhərrəmov reminded Radio Azadlıq that two years ago the head of the country signed a decree aimed at increasing the production of food wheat: "Similarly, it was stipulated that wheat producers using modern irrigation systems and signing contracts with the Ministry of Agriculture would receive additional subsidies for both wheat production and the resulting product."

According to the expert, this decree benefited oligarch-bureaucrats who occupy and purchase tens of thousands of hectares of land: "Who has the ability to install modern irrigation systems today? Who can afford modern irrigation equipment under the state's favorable conditions? Only oligarch bureaucrats! Ordinary villagers cannot afford this. As a result, wheat production decreased. The decree was signed, an additional 180 million manat was allocated from the budget in 2022, and wheat production decreased the following year."

V. Məhərrəmov believes that the new subsidy will also serve the oligarch-bureaucrats and ordinary villagers will not benefit from it: "Because they use modern irrigation systems. The application of modern irrigation systems in the country is only 8%. These are large farming enterprises. Ordinary villagers do not have the means to install modern irrigation systems."

He argues that solving the water problem is the government's responsibility and that the state should install modern irrigation systems.