By: Leyla Mammadova
Chairperson of the Board of Agro Procurement and Supply
Although Azerbaijan is mainly popular as an oil and gas producing country in the world, in the last decades high growth in the agricultural and tourism sector is seen as well. Besides agricultural development in production and export, an increasing trend of applied innovations to the sector is observed. Applying new technologies let the country increase the overall production and export of agricultural products. As a result, Azerbaijan now exports not only to the CIS countries but also to the EU and GCC region.
Talking about innovations, Electronic Agriculture Information System (EAIS) is one of the best innovative platforms for providing farmers with the necessary agricultural services which is developed in a limited period of time by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and it is still developing.
Azerbaijan, as part of the global community, has been adversely impacted by the ongoing health crisis. If necessary preventive measures not taken, the pandemic may likely have an extensive and long-term influence on the agriculture industry. To prevent the negative impact of the outbreak Azerbaijan Government has taken necessary measures right from the start.
Now, in the period of the Feast of Sacrifice (Eid-Al-Adha) which is celebrated in the Muslim world, it is especially crucial to control the gathering of people to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Regarding the challenges put by restrictions of the quarantine period, the Ministry of Agriculture has launched a website for sales of rams to be sacrificed for the first time as an innovative solution to prevent overcrowding in selling points.
The website (www.qurbanliq.kendden.az) allows people to easily order rams for sacrifice by indicating the time and the selling point of their choice. As per their order rams will be sacrificed in accordance with all the Islamic rules on their behalf. They can take their sacrificed rams very quickly at the indicated time and place. The website is mainly intended for local use, therefore it is presented in Azerbaijani only.
To further prevent the spread of the coronavirus, accordance with all the requirements for sanitary and epidemiological and hygienic conditions will be highly controlled at the slaughterhouses. This initiative will help to prevent overcrowding and long queues in front of selling points.
