Azerbaijani president unveils pilot agricultural park in Yevlakh PHOTO

On June 23, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev visited Yevlakh district to inaugurate a pilot agricultural park, a key milestone in Azerbaijan’s drive to modernise and diversify its agricultural sector.

Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov briefed the head of state on the scope and strategic vision of the agricultural park, which spans a total area of 2,807 hectares, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The park is designed to produce over 20,000 tons of mixed fruits, 20 million breeding eggs, and 1 million seedlings annually. It brings together small and medium-sized farmers from across the country into a state-supported ecosystem aimed at boosting agro-industrial development.

The initiative is part of the Ministry of Economy’s “Integration of Medium-Sized Farms into Agro-Industrial Clusters” project. Residents of the park benefit from fully state-financed infrastructure, including electricity, gas, water, and roads, as well as concessional loans provided by the Azerbaijan Business Development Fund.

To ensure optimal productivity and sustainability, a smart management system has been implemented across the park. Climate stations, high-precision cameras, and soil moisture sensors have been installed to support data-driven farming practices.

At present, 36 business entities hold resident status in the park, with 21 already engaged in fruit cultivation, seedling production, grain farming, and egg breeding. To date, these residents have invested around 57 million manats ($33.5 million), generating approximately 200 permanent and 500 seasonal jobs. According to the development plan, private investments are expected to reach 100 million manats ($58.8 million), which will help expand the park’s scope to include livestock and poultry farms, processing facilities, and a logistics centre in the designated 141-hectare industrial zone. The expansion is projected to create 500 permanent and over 1,000 seasonal jobs.

The park's land use has been strategically divided: 1,185 hectares for perennial crops, 1,298 hectares for annual crops, 141 hectares for industrial purposes, and 183 hectares for communication and protective infrastructure.

The Yevlakh agricultural park joins a growing network of industrial and agricultural development zones in Azerbaijan. Currently, the country operates 9 industrial parks and 4 industrial districts, home to 170 business entities with total investments exceeding 8 billion manats ($4.7 billion). Since 2015, industrial zones have reported product sales of over 16 billion manats ($9.4 billion), with more than 5 billion manats ($2.9 billion) in exports.

By Khagan Isayev