In order to serve the development of agriculture, promote local products and promote agrarian entrepreneurship, an Agrarian Business Festival and a Vegetable Festival were organized in Shamkir district. The festival was jointly organized by the Agrarian Innovation Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, Shamkir District Executive Power and the Azerbaijan Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association. The main goal of the festival was to promote the agricultural potential of the region, attract investment in the agricultural sector, expand access of local products to domestic and foreign markets, and strengthen cooperation between farmers and business entities.
Within the framework of the festival, local farmers, enterprises operating in the agricultural sector and companies engaged in the processing of agricultural products demonstrated their products and services. The rich variety of vegetables of the Shamkir region - tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants and other local products - were presented at the Vegetable Festival. Farmers from Shamkir, Agstafa, Gadabay, Gazakh, Tovuz regions and local residents of the Gazakh-Tovuz economic region participated in the festival.
Within the framework of the Agrarian Business Festival, modern agricultural machinery and technologies, high-yielding seed samples, organic and mineral fertilizers, as well as plant protection products were exhibited. Festival participants had the opportunity to get acquainted with high-quality, environmentally friendly products of local farmers and make purchases directly from producers. In addition to the exhibition of agricultural products, an open-air banquet was organized for festival visitors with the support of greenhouse owners and farms.
Speaking at the official opening ceremony of the festival, the head of the Shamkir District Executive Power, Rashad Tagiyev, said that agriculture is the basis of the economy in the Shamkir district. He expressed confidence that this festival will make a significant contribution to the economic and social development of the region in the future.
Anar Jafarov, Director of the Agrarian Innovation Center, emphasized that festivals create useful cooperation opportunities for local entrepreneurs and agricultural producers: "Our goal is to promote the innovative development of agriculture and support farmers. Innovations are not limited to techniques and technologies - new approaches, market access models and increasing the knowledge of our farmers are also among our main priorities. We want our farmers to develop not only as producers of products, but also as entrepreneurs and innovators."
After the official opening, the exhibition organizers and official representatives visited the stands.
In accordance with the festival tradition, a credit fair was organized with the participation of bank and non-bank credit organizations and state financial institutions. Along with the credit fair, a panel discussion on the topic "Financial mechanisms of the state" was held with the participation of state and private financial institutions.
The panel sessions were attended by representatives of the Agrarian Credit and Development Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, the Food Safety Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the State Employment Agency, the Business Development Fund, the Agrarian Insurance Fund, banks and credit institutions. During the panel session, information was provided on the financial support instruments, subsidies, preferential loans, agrarian insurance opportunities and financial mechanisms created for farmers by the state for the agricultural sector. Also, within the framework of the festival, a training was held for farmers on the topic of "Potato plant diseases and pests, measures to combat them" by specialists from the Agricultural Training Center of the Agrarian Services Agency.
It should be noted that the regional product festivals, in addition to creating direct contact between farmers, entrepreneurs and consumers, create conditions for the recognition of local products in the market, expansion of sales opportunities and the formation of local brands. It is planned that the regions where the product festivals are held will participate in the Caspian Agro 2026 exhibition with their specialized products.
The main goal of participating in the exhibition is to introduce quality agricultural products produced in the regions to a wider audience, create opportunities for access to new sales markets, and create conditions for the presentation of local products at the international level.
