A set of Innovative projects in agriculture advisory services (AAS) will be supported under the “Strengthening of Agricultural Advisory Services” project funded by European Union and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The Innovative projects are being selected from the pilot regions of Guba-Khachmaz and Ganja-Gazakh. The objective is to find innovative AAS solutions that meet the needs of farmers.
Ciaran Gannon, an international expert involved to the project, noted that tangible results will be achieved in the next six months:
“The project aims at developing a set innovative projects that will be defined and implemented by a team of public and private sector actors working in a collaborative manner. The projects are based on producers needs and demands and have been discussed with farmers as well as educational and research institutions.
The national coordinator of the project, Vugar Bashirov, noted that there is need for innovations involving young farmers using information and communication technologies. Innovative solutions should ease farmers’ financial difficulties, allow them to make informed decision on their production and should facilitate group extension. The project is currently supporting commodity based platform that allow farmers to access affordable and relevant information to improve their productivity.
“Commodity-based advisory platforms, a new agricultural advisory product, have been tested in pilot regions. Facilitators, some of them lead farmers, who will support farmers’ group will be trained by international experts. The trainings will cater for facilitators in both project target regions, ” Vugar Bashirov added.
It should be noted that the Strengthening Agricultural Advisory Services Project is developing a new Advisory Service Model for the country, as well as a 5-year strategy and a 3-year plans to provide agrarian advisory services in the pilot regions.