Ministry of Agriculture (Azerbaijan)

The Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikasının Kənd Təsərrüfatı Nazirliyi) is an Azerbaijani governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of regulation of the economic activity in the agricultural sector of the country with a purpose of increasing the sector's production capacity. Agriculture is Azerbaijan's second most important natural resource playing a significant role in the country's economy. The ministry is headed by Inam Karimov.

History
The ministry overseeing agricultural activity was first established on May 28, 1918 with declaration of independence of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as the Ministry of Cultivation and Labor. On October 15, 1918 the name was changed to the Ministry of the State Property and Cultivation and after the establishment of Soviet rule in Azerbaijan in 1920, it was renamed to the State Land Commissariat. In 1986 the ministry was transformed into the State Committee on Agrarian Economy. In 1992, after restoration of independence of Azerbaijan Republic, the ministry was re-established as the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Finally, in 1993, the name was changed to its current.

The Ministry of Agriculture pursues public policy in the following areas:


 * development of production and processing of agricultural products;
 * providing the necessary services and information support to producers of agricultural products;
 * land reclamation and water management, veterinary medicine, plant quarantine and effective land use;
 * implementing a unified scientific and technical policy in the agricultural sector, organizing the development and implementation of priority research programs in crop production and livestock production;
 * ensuring the country's food security;
 * economic and social development of villages and rural areas.

Organization
As per the Presidential Decree No. 467 dated October 23, 2004 with the purpose of increasing the agricultural capacity of the country, the ministry focuses on development of production and processing of the agricultural products; provision of information to producers of the agricultural products; melioration and water economy, veterinary, plant quarantine and favorable use of the soil; implementation of unique scientific-technical policy, organization of first priority programs on plant growing and animal breeding; ensuring supply food security in the country; economic and social development of the villages. The ministry holds trade and investment conferences in order to attract foreign investment into the sector and promote Azerbaijani foods in the world markets. In 2007, it held an Azerbaijan Food and Agriculture Trade Mission in the United States organized by the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce.

Reforms
As a result of the first Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijan's agricultural sector went into a recession which led the leadership to pass three lawsAbout the agrarian reforms and About reforms in state farms and collective farms on February 18, 1995 and About land reform on July 16, 1995. According to the Presidential Decree from October 23, 2004 which also included establishment of "Agroleasing" Open Stock Company providing leasing of equipment and funding, AZN 100 billion and AZN 150 billion were allocated in 2005 and 2006 to the sector. As a result, in comparison to statistics in 1995, grain growing increased by 2.3 times in 2004, potatoes by 5.9 times, water melon products by 8.5, vegetables by 2.5, fruit and berry by 1.3, meat by 1.9, milk by 1.4, eggs by 1.5, the quantity of the cattle heads by 1.3, the quantity of sheep and goats by 1.6 times.