State Programme on Poverty Reduction and Economic Development 2003-2005.

This State Program on Poverty Reduction and Economic Development is a national program with a multi-sectoral approach. The timeframe of the Program is 3 years, between 2003 and 2005. The overall objective of the Program is to identify and implement economic and fiscal policies to reduce poverty.
The Program addresses food security in an integrated way across the related institutions by ensuring coordination between Food Security Information System Unit, State Customs Committee, Poverty Monitoring Unit in coordination with the inter-ministerial working group on food security. The Program aims at eradicating malnourishment and food deficiency amongst the children and underlines ensuring food security for specific target groups, such as the refugees and internally displaced persons. A system for monitoring the access of population to safe drinking water will be introduced. In order to improve drinking water supply, Great Baku water supply will be reconstructed.
Agriculture will be developed, especially in mountain areas, in a sustainable and ecological way. Supply of water and irrigation to rural areas, regular water supply to agricultural land, amelioration of land will be improved. The biodiversity will be protected by a) establishing new protected areas, b) constructing sturgeon hatchery plant, c) creating biological stations and nurseries for rare and endangered species of animals, d) planting long-life endogenous plants, e) planting forests, f) concentrated planting of the forest. To this end, specific measures will be taken regarding re-cultivation of polluted soil, improvement of soil quality, prudent reforestation, reconstruction of purification units and sewerage systems, improvement of waste management and protection of the bio-diversity of the Caspian Sea.
A rural development strategy will be developed by increasing the capacity of government to formulate strategies for agricultural sector. Infrastructure in rural areas will be improved. Capacity development will be enhanced. Access by farmers to extension services will be enhanced and their managerial and technical skills will be increased. Farmer-oriented agricultural knowledge system will be modernized. Water Users’ Association will be developed. Farmers’ Unions will be established to enable small farmers to reduce the costs of production and processing as well as to build up economies of scale. In order to generate employment for low income women in rural areas, new surveys on gender and poverty using qualitative and quantitative methods will be carried out.
To enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural system, the Program will ensure a sustainable rural financial system, enhance support services for smallholders and farmers, increase private sector involvement in whole-sale, agro-processing, supply of technical equipment and chemical services to farmers as well as other relevant activities. The Program will also strengthen animal and plant health by a) Improving the supply of veterinary products, b) Improving measures for epizootic and phytosanitary control on main public health and production threatening, c) Introducing private firms into veterinary services. The Program will further ensure public health by improving food safety through better control at state laboratories, improved coverage of veterinary vaccines, and upgrading quarantine control at the borders. The Land Committee Regional Cadastre Centres will be strengthened and agricultural land titles and land transactions will be registered in regional centers. The land market will be developed.
The Program addresses structural issues to increase the resilience to disasters by reconstructing sewerage system in Baku city, reconstructing and rehabilitating irrigation and drainage systems, developing water reservoirs and constructing protective dams for flood protection. The Program also states that unified National Programme for Soil Conservation will address wind and water erosion. Summer and winter arability of pasture lands will be rehabilitated against erosion. Geographic Information System will be improved.