Strawberry Farming Increases Incomes in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is home to over 230,000 refugees and over 600,000 displaced people. Half still live in temporary public housing and over 90,000 are living in refugee camps. Unemployment among these groups is very high, reaching 90 percent in refugee women. The Farmer-to-Farmer Project in Azerbaijan empowers displaced communities and involves them in economic activity by focusing on sustainable economic growth for agribusinesses, farmers and other entrepreneurs in the expansion of production capacity and human resource development. These activities create jobs and new businesses and enhance community involvement through participation and leadership development.

In Gelilabad, ACDI/VOCA taught farmers how to grow strawberries as a way to supplement their incomes. Although demand was high for fresh berries, they were no widely grown in the region. To introduce strawberry production to the local farmers, ACDI/VOCA sent Cliff Hatch, a volunteer from Massachusetts with over 20 years experience in organic agriculture production. Mr. Hatch visited Gelilabad and conducted training seminars in farm management. He also brought 2,000 strawberry plants to launch the new program. The variety he brought, the Tribute-Tristar type, has a distinct advantage over other types in that they produce three fruitings a year, allowing farmers to sell their harvests throughout the year rather than all in one season.

One project participant, Ismail Aslanov, had never grown strawberries before, but he was eager to take part in the project. He received 150 strawberry plants and began tending them using the techniques Mr. Hatch had taught him. Mr. Aslanov was able to propagate the new plants, and from his original 150 plants, he was able to grow 20,000. He now maintains 8,000 strawberry plants and gives the rest to nearby farmers to share the new techniques he has learned.

Multiple harvests have allowed Mr. Aslanov to increase his profits. “Before now we didn’t have varieties with more than one fruiting and harvest,” he notes, “which meant that the market was flooded…and prices dropped.” Now, he can get $1.30 per kilogram for his berries out of season, as opposed to just 40 cents in May and June, prime harvest time. In 2000, ACDI/VOCA sent a second volunteer, Margaret Morse, to Azerbaijan to check on the farmers’ progress. Mrs. Morse, a production agriculture expert from Virginia, brought samples from the Chandler variety of strawberry, which yields a sweeter, larger fruit. Due to his success, Mr. Aslanov received 650 Chandler strawberry plants. Mrs. Morse provided training in spacing and land contouring techniques, conducted soil tests and made recommendations on soil preparation and irrigation. Mr. Aslanov has implemented all of Mrs. Morse’s suggestions, commenting that “the more information we have, the better off we will be.”

Ismail Aslanov continues to farm potatoes and other vegetables, but he has realized a 25 percent increase in his income due to his strawberry operation. He has plans to expand his farm to four times its current size.