The conference dedicated to agricultural matters, held under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, once again demonstrates the strategic position of the agricultural sector on the country's socio-economic development agenda. At the conference, the head of state highlighted the necessity of preparing and adopting a new State Program on agricultural development, noting that the program must be a comprehensive, concrete, short-term document covering both public and private sector investments. This approach indicates that the next phase in the agricultural field will be built upon higher productivity, efficiency, self-sufficiency, and investment activity.

Abdulrahim Dadashov, Deputy Head of the Monitoring and evaluation division at the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), stated that one of the key messages delivered at the conference is the necessity of transitioning to a phase of "quality and productivity growth" in the development of the agricultural sector. According to him, infrastructure projects implemented in the regions over the past 20 years have formed an essential foundation for agriculture. Gasification, power supply, highways, reservoirs, and the construction of canals have created favorable conditions for expanding economic activity in rural areas, increasing farmers' production capabilities, and supporting regional employment.

It should be noted that in 2025, the value of gross agricultural output at actual prices amounted to 14 billion 189.5 million AZN. Of this, plant growing products accounted for 6 billion 748.5 million AZN, and livestock products accounted for 7 billion 441 million AZN. In 2025, agricultural production increased by 0.9 percent compared to the previous year. In the structure of agricultural output, the share of plant growing stood at 47.6 percent, while livestock accounted for 52.4 percent.

Abdulrahim Dadashov noted that the macroeconomic and social significance of the agricultural sector is also reflected in its share of GDP and employment. In 2025, the share of value-added created in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in the country's gross domestic product was 5.9 percent. Concurrently, the fact that 45.6 percent of Azerbaijan's population resides in rural areas, and that agriculture, forestry, and fisheries hold a 35 percent share in total employment, increases the specific weight of this sector in terms of regional development and social welfare.

The observed dynamics in the export of agricultural products also demonstrate the sector's potential regarding the expansion of non-oil exports. In 2025, agricultural products worth 1 billion 108.9 million USD were exported, and this indicator increased by 18.5 percent compared to 2024. Tomatoes, hazelnuts, ginned cotton, persimmons, and apples were the top five exported agricultural products. These figures demonstrate the importance of the agricultural sector not only in securing the domestic market but also in increasing export revenues.

The CAERC deputy division head added that the numbers voiced at the conference clearly show both achievements and outstanding matters in the agricultural sphere. On one hand, a high level of self-sufficiency has been formed for products such as vegetables, melons and gourds, fruits and berries, eggs, sugar, and salt. On the other hand, the remaining import dependence on wheat, vegetable oils, butter, poultry, beef, and certain other products brings additional production and investment opportunities to the forefront from a food security perspective.

One of the directions specifically emphasized at the conference was related to wheat production. The President stated that the country meets approximately 55 percent of its own wheat needs, and it is unacceptable for this indicator to remain at the same level for a long time. The domestic production of 1 million 573 thousand tons and imports of 1 million 267 thousand tons indicate the necessity of increasing productivity in this field, developing seed breeding, applying modern irrigation technologies, and elevating the efficiency of large farming models. The main goal here is not necessarily 100 percent self-sufficiency, but rather reducing import dependence to a more rational level, taking into account available land and water resources.

Abdulrahim Dadashov stated that food security is not measured solely by production volume. The main issues in this field are sustainability of production, productivity, storage capacities, logistics, processing, and market access. The self-sufficiency level in the country standing at 107 percent for vegetables, 104 percent for melons and gourds, and 140 percent for fruits and berries shows that Azerbaijan can expand its export opportunities for agricultural products when proper specialization and a market-oriented production model are applied. However, when this advantage is mostly limited to raw material and primary product exports, the value-added potential is not fully realized.

From this perspective, the development of the processing industry emerges as a direction of particular importance at the conference. Utilizing the example of cotton production, the President noted that the goal is not merely to export raw cotton and ginned cotton, but to expand yarn and finished product manufacturing. This approach expresses a new economic logic in the agricultural sector: the product creates higher income not on the field, but at the final stage of the value chain. Therefore, increasing processing capacities in sectors such as cotton growing, fruit growing, vegetable growing, hazelnut growing, viticulture, livestock, and fisheries is considered a crucial direction for expanding non-oil exports.

The CAERC deputy division head noted that this approach is the primary indicator of a transition to intensive growth in agricultural policy. If the main task in previous stages was expanding arable lands and restoring production, the main priority in the current stage is to obtain more output using the same land, water, and labor resources. This requires a broader application of tools such as precision farming, soil analysis, satellite data, artificial intelligence, modern irrigation systems, and the provision of high-quality seeds and fertilizers.

Consequently, President Ilham Aliyev's conference dedicated to agricultural issues has laid out the political and economic foundations for a transition to a new phase of quality in the development of the agricultural sector. The new State Program mentioned at the conference is specifically aimed at forming the practical framework for this transition. The short-term, concrete, and investment-based nature of the program, alongside its provision for both public funds and the active participation of the private sector, can enable a more results-oriented execution of agricultural policy in the upcoming period.