Increased Yields or Azerbaijani Cotton Relying on Children

The meeting under President Ilham Aliyev in connection with the end of the cotton season and events for 2020 was held on December 19. At the meeting, Ilham Aliyev, summing up the results of work done in the field of cotton growing, said: “The cotton picking can be said to be completed. This year record levels were achieved, 294 thousand tons of cotton was harvested, and the yield from each hectare was 29.4 quintals. These are actually very high indicators, which indicate that all steps taken in recent years in cotton growing have their effect.”

The Minister of Agriculture, speaking at the meeting, said: "This year, the goal was to achieve growth by increasing yields. It was decided to plant only suitable land for this purpose with cotton."

Then the Minister said, addressing the head of state: “Dear Mr. President, the main task assigned to us by you is to increase yields through increased production.”

It should be noted that on November 27 last year, the Minister of Agriculture in his speech at the opening of the State Agrarian Center in the Masalli region said that this year cotton was sown in Azerbaijan on an area of ​​132,000 hectares. Next year (2019 - V.M.), sowing of cotton is planned on an area of ​​100 thousand ha. Paradoxical, isn't it? As the Minister himself says, the “main task” set by the President before the Ministry of Agriculture is not to reduce the cotton sowing area, but to “increase production by increasing yields.”

Why, then, is the cotton sown area reduced?! In addition, as the Minister said on November 27, 2018, he could determine that in 2019 cotton will be sown on an area of ​​100 thousand ha. Indeed, the Ministry of Agriculture does not sow cotton and does not own land. How can you tell tens of thousands of entrepreneurs engaged in sowing cotton that this year they should sow less cotton or not sow it at all?

The Minister’s statement about the decision “to sow cotton only on suitable sowing lands” is not clear. In Azerbaijan, sowing at all times was carried out on suitable lands. What is going on? How could it happen that “The State Program for the Socio-Economic Development of the Regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2019-2023” provides for the creation of agricultural parks for cotton growing in a number of areas: in the Barda district on the territory of 2,000 hectares, in Bilasuvar on the territory of 5,000 hectares, in the Hajikabul district on the territory of 4,800 hectares, but at the same time, the area of ​​cotton sowing decreased by 31 thousand hectares?

How could it happen that the “State Program for the Development of Cotton Production for 2017-2022” envisages bringing cotton production to 500 thousand tons, and the cotton sowing area has decreased by more than 30%? How could it happen that over the past three years more than 500 million manats of budget funds have been spent on the purchase of equipment for use in cotton growing, and the sowing area is reduced?

Ilham Aliyev, recognizing that large amounts of public funds are being spent on developing cotton production, said: “Now we are buying the most advanced machinery for harvesting cotton - we have bought more than 400 American-made John Deere combines. Over 500 million manat was spent on the purchase of equipment. ”

In his speech at the meeting, the Minister of Agriculture, clarifying the figures voiced by Ilham Aliyev, said: “Over the past three years, 15 thousand 700 pieces of agricultural equipment worth 529 million manats, including 403 cotton harvesters, have been purchased.”

Thus, in recent years, under the guise of the development of cotton growing, a large amount of public funds has been spent. The question is if these funds are spent efficiently. Take a look, American-made John Deere combines, which are too expensive, are also very productive. Unfortunately, in Azerbaijan, this technique is not used effectively. During the season, John Deere combines pick cotton from at least 1,000 ha. If we take into account that in the country cotton is removed twice as much by machines, then only 202 combines are required to collect cotton from an area of ​​101 thousand ha. And if you use these combines at full capacity (John Deere combines work 24 hours), then 100 combines for cotton picking in the country are quite optimal. In this case, what is the need to purchase such different equipment, exceeding the need several times? It should be noted that in total, the number of combines in the country exceeds 500 pieces.

Paradoxically, when so many combines were imported into the country, cotton was sown on an area of ​​only 101 thousand hectares and 87% of the cotton harvest was carried out using machinery. Moreover, at the meeting, the Minister said the advantage was given to harvesting by the combine. So, 87% of the collection was carried out by technology.

The Minister also noted that effective deployment of equipment was ensured. If, in fact, as the Minister said, 500 combines were effectively used and 87% of the cotton harvest was carried out using machinery, then the cotton sowing area is not 101 thousand ha, but more.

It should be noted that in order to study the situation in cotton growing, a group of specialists made a trip to the Aran (Lowland) region 6 times. During a trip in 4 districts we met with almost 40 farmers. Most of the farmers who participated in the meetings in the Salyan, Saatli, Imishli and Hajigabul districts said that this year, in grain growing and cotton growing, productivity dropped sharply. The main reasons indicated were the lack of equipment, water, a lack of specialists, and the poor quality of fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers also noted that part of the area sown with cotton was not registered. That is, when sowing cotton in a larger territory, the sowing area was underestimated. For this reason, the volume of fertilizers was reduced.

According to them, the underestimation of the sown area of ​​cotton was carried out by the local Center for Agrarian Development. According to farmers, it became known that after the grain harvest, the sown areas of most farmers and peasants engaged in cotton sowing were not registered.

This year, during the monitoring of the harvesting process on cotton plantations in the Aran zone, as in previous years, manual labor was widely used. During the inspection of plantations in the Imishli district, we witnessed the involvement of about 100 workers in manual cotton picking. Moreover, this happened on plantations belonging to the Imishli branch of innovations - MKT IC LLC.

Unfortunately, child labor was also widely used here. So, part of the cotton pickers were teenagers, schoolchildren up to 15 years old. Photos are attached. What is the purpose of underestimating the sown areas of cotton? And a completely frivolous argument is the statement of the Minister of Agriculture that “a decision was made to plant only suitable land for cotton”. The principle of sowing on suitable lands for this applies not only to cotton, but also to all plants. So it was before, it is so now, and it will be so in the future.

What was the purpose of the words said back on November 27 last year by the Minister of Agriculture that "next year, cotton is planned to be planted on an area of ​​100 thousand hectares"? Maybe, as he told the President, “the main task is to increase production by increasing productivity”? No! If in fact the goal of the Ministry was to increase production by increasing yields, then the goal should not be to reduce sown areas, but to increase yields on existing sown areas.

Although official information noted an increase in yield in cotton growing, this did not occur as a result of the transition from an extensive to an intensive method of cultivation, but rather it became possible as a result of the expansion of the sown area and understatement of territories. Unfortunately, in the republic still, as in the 70-80 years of the last century, they use the manipulation of statistical data to create the appearance of growth in production. Lack of correct and honest statistics makes it difficult to identify existing problems.