Policy on the development of agricultural cooperation in Azerbaijan for 2017-2022.

The main purposes of the Policy are to promote the joint farming activities of agricultural producers, to create favorable conditions for the organization of agricultural cooperatives on a voluntary basis, to ensure the stable operation of cooperatives, and also to support the formation and development of agricultural cooperatives. The timeframe of the policy is 5 years covering the period between 2017 and 2022. The strategic goals of the policy are as follows: (I) raising public awareness on agricultural cooperatives; (II) providing state support to agricultural cooperatives; (III) increasing the competitiveness of the agricultural sector; (IV) ensuring efficient use of land resources; (V) developing agricultural cooperation system; (VI) increasing efficiency in agricultural production; (VII) creating conditions for the application of innovations in agriculture; (VIII) providing support to the cooperatives in the fields of production, processing, sales of agricultural products, as well as material and technical supplies and other services; (IX) improving insurance mechanism for cooperatives and ensuring access to financial services; (X) providing credits to cooperatives on preferential terms; (XI) providing information and extension services to agricultural cooperatives; (XII) training experts and conducting scientific research; (XIII) developing a statistical database on development and activity indicators of agricultural cooperatives; and (XIV) ensuring rural development and employment.
This policy lays down actions to be implemented between 2017 and 2022 to ensure the strengthening and development of agricultural cooperation. The formation and development of agricultural cooperatives and their unions and associations will be supported through a favorable socio-economic and legal environment, including subsidies and tax and credit policy. Measures will be taken to stimulate the union of agricultural producers in cooperatives and modernize production base of agricultural cooperatives. A mechanism that ensures short-term delivery of agricultural commodities from cooperatives and access to the domestic and foreign markets will be established. The cooperatives' demand for means of production will be provided at the expense of concessional leasing conditions. Cooperatives' markets will be operated and the supply of agricultural and food products for state needs will be determined annually and procured from cooperatives. The activities of registered and operating cooperatives will be monitored and an appropriate accounting system will be established for the purpose of evaluating the efficiency of cooperatives. Cooperatives will be promoted as a form of progressive joint farming.