Potato is one of the most demanded crops in our country. It is not for nothing called the second bread, it quickly gives a feeling of fullness and is inexpensive. 2019 was fruitful in Azerbaijan for potatoes, but it is not easy to find domestic potatoes for sale.
According to Jamaladdin Ismailov, # Vice President of the Federation of Trade Unions of Khidmet-Ish, a large consignment of potatoes, mainly from Iran, was brought into the republic. Moreover, this potato is by no means of the best quality, he says. Meanwhile, domestic producers of this vegetable can not sell their product. In previous years, our interlocutor notes, the situation was not catastrophic.
“The other day I visited the Gadabay region, and was simply horrified by what was happening. It is known that Gadabay potatoes are famous throughout the country and even abroad for their taste, but farmers cannot sell them. Thousands of tons of potatoes are stored and do not find a buyer, in particular in the village of Slavyanka. But if it gets warmer, then the potatoes will start to deteriorate, sprout, and all the efforts of the peasants will go to waste. They are ready to sell it in villages for even 50 qepiks. The state, in particular the Ministry of Agriculture, should help farmers in the sale of agricultural products, but nothing is being done in this regard, ”J. Ismailov said.
In his opinion, if enough agricultural crops are produced in the country, mechanisms should be created to prohibit their import from other countries. It is necessary to protect the domestic manufacturer. “But we prefer to purchase low-quality potatoes from Iran, as well as Russia, at a low price. Buyers buy Iranian potatoes at around 25 qepiks per kilogram. Our potatoes are more expensive, but they are much tastier. The Ministry of Agriculture has a department dealing with potato issues, but it is not clear what it does. We need competent logistics. After all, we have logistics centers, they must be used correctly, ”the expert considers.
According to him, preference should be given to local products, this will benefit both producers and consumers. Potatoes purchased from farmers must first undergo quality control.
“The problem is,” says J. Ismailov, “that none of the officials of the farmers hears, they are in complete despair. They need to be supported, but as it turned out, nobody cares about them. ”
Agriculture expert Vahid Maharramov also noted that Iranian potatoes have flooded the country. “Just yesterday I bought such potatoes in one of the Baku markets. But this state of affairs has been taking place for a long time. Five years ago, I was at a market in Qedabay and even sold Iranian potatoes there. The same situation is in other parts of the country. And the products of our manufacturers were not needed by anyone. They cannot even get to the markets. It has been said more than once that imports are in the hands of monopolists and the wholesale market too. It is through them that implementation is underway, and this system will not be easy to destroy, ”he says.
The government encourages peasants to engage in agriculture, they buy seeds, necessary equipment, fertilizers, and then cannot sell their products. According to the expert, they should think about exporting more potatoes to other countries. By the way, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, in 2019 Azerbaijan exported potatoes to eight countries: Russia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iraq and Ukraine.
As for the import of potatoes, then, according to V.Magerramov, more than 200 thousand tons of this vegetable are imported into the country per year. “Domestic, in particular Kedabek potato is good, but not competitive. Its production is too expensive. Farmers get 10-15 tons per hectare, which is low. In many countries they are 2-3 times higher. Why buy in Iran? Because potatoes are cheaper there even taking into account transportation costs, ”the expert said.
The government, he said, is not taking any measures to help farmers increase productivity. It is necessary to engage in breeding, developing the most productive zoned varieties. Farmers should be given the opportunity to purchase cheap and high-quality mineral fertilizers and pesticides. What is being brought into the country now, as V. Magerramov notes, is usually of poor quality. Peasants use such fertilizers, but this does not contribute to good results.
Source: https://zerkalo.az/