Agriculture Ministry to monitor declarations for issuing subsidies
By Akbar Mammadov
Agrarian Credit and Development Agency (ACDA) under the Ministry of Agriculture has started monitoring farmers' declarations to receive subsidies for spring sowing, the ministry reported in its website.
According to the Agrarian Credit and Development Agency, the monitoring is carried out in accordance with the Subsidy Rules approved by the Presidential Decree of June 27, 2019.
ACDA said that monitoring is carried out in several directions to ensure the effective operation of the subsidy mechanism.
"The accuracy of farmers' planting declarations will be assessed by cross-checking, comparing images determined by satellite and other technical capabilities with electronic declaration data and conducting field inspections by selective methods by comparing e-declaration data with other data in the Electronic Agricultural Information System (EKTIS)", the agency added.
Urging farmers to be responsible in their planting declarations, the agency noted:
"We expect farmers to take a more responsible approach to small-scale planting, and we do not exclude to take the measures provided for in the rules due to incorrect information. It should be taken into account that the more responsibly the declarations are filled, the sooner the subsidy payments will be made,” ACDA Chairman Mirza Aliyev said.
It should be noted that according to the Subsidy Rules, if the amount calculated for the declared sown area does not exceed 5 percent of the amount determined as a result of monitoring, the sowing subsidy is given for the area determined as a result of monitoring.
Thus, when the difference is more than 5 percent and less than 20 percent, the amount of the subsidy is reduced by 30 percent. If the difference is 20-50 percent, no subsidy is paid to the farmer during the current year.
If the difference between the declared information and the real information is more than 50 percent, the subsidy is not paid to the farmer during the current year and the following year.
Agrarian Credit and Development Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture was set up in 2004. In 2018, ACDA completed its formation on the basis of the State Service on Management of Agricultural Projects and Credits under the Ministry of Agriculture.
The agency is engaged in issuance of soft agricultural loans, issuance of discounts for equipment and breeding animals, issuance of preferential loans, provision of security, delivery of subsidies, project management and involvement of investment in agriculture.
Azerbaijan has been developing its agricultural sector in recent years and the agricultural production increased by 7.2 percent, including 11.7 percent for crop products and 3.5 percent for livestock products year-on-year in 2019.
In 2019, the value of gross agricultural output in actual prices amounted to AZN 78,3 million (over $46 million) and the share of this sector in the country's GDP increased from 5.3 percent in 2018 to 5.7 percent.
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Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97
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