The Agrarian Business and "Cotton Festival" was held in Saatlı district, co-organized by the Agrarian Innovation Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, Saatlı District Executive Power, and "Prime Cotton" LLC. This event is the 15th harvest festival organized in the regions this year.
The main goal of the festival is to strengthen cooperation at all stages of the production chain in cotton growing – from seed production to harvesting and processing – to familiarize farmers with modern technologies, promote export-oriented production, and support the development of agrarian entrepreneurship in the region. Additionally, the festival is crucial for expanding relations between enterprises and organizations operating in the agricultural sector, creating new partnerships, and promoting local products.
Within the framework of the event, the 14th and final Seed exhibition-sale fair of the season was held. The fair showcased wheat varieties adapted to the soil and climate conditions of the region, such as “Qobustan”, “Əsgəran”, “Mətin”, “Maurizio”, “Qadio”, as well as barley varieties “Qarabağ 22”, “Dəyanətli”, “İosif”, “Günəş”, and “Finola”. Farmers were provided with detailed information about the productivity, disease resistance, and quality indicators of these varieties.
At the official opening ceremony of the festival, speeches were delivered by Elmir Bağırov, Head of Saatlı District Executive Power; Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency; Anar Jafarov, Director of the Agrarian Innovation Center of the Ministry of Agriculture; Vugar Zeynalov, Vice-President of the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Rovshan Mahmudov, Executive Director of "Prime Cotton" LLC; Fuad Mammadov, Deputy Chairman of the Republican Union of Agricultural, Ecology and Water Management Workers' Trade Unions; Özay Göküş, Director of "Taş Obası" LLC; and Bahaddin Leysanov, Director of the Neftchala and Saatlı branches of "Prime Cotton" company.
In his speech, Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency, noted that festivals and entrepreneurship-oriented events held in the regions play an important role in the development of small and medium-sized businesses, especially farmers and producers operating in the agricultural sector.
Anar Jafarov, Director of the Agrarian Innovation Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, stated in his speech that harvest festivals held across the country are not only a place for sales and exhibitions but also serve as a platform for sharing innovative ideas and forming new business models. According to him, farmers and entrepreneurs get the opportunity to establish direct contact with suppliers, financial institutions, and technology companies through these festivals.
Rovshan Mahmudov, Executive Director of "Prime Cotton" LLC, spoke about the company's work in the field of cotton growing, stating that the goal is to process cotton qualitatively, produce products that meet world standards, and increase exports.
Within the framework of the festival, scientific research institutes of the Ministry of Agriculture, including the Scientific Research Institute of Plant Protection and Technical Crops, also actively participated.
Various agricultural products and technologies, as well as agricultural machinery and aggregates widely used in cotton growing, were extensively exhibited at the festival.
Also, participants of the "Bootcamp" held in Saatlı district on November 3-4 within the framework of the "Application of Artificial Intelligence in Precision Agriculture" project were represented with their products and prototypes in the festival's startup zone.
During the event, specialists who have been active in cotton growing for many years and distinguished themselves by their work were awarded certificates of appreciation by "Prime Cotton" LLC.
It should be noted that the media partner of the festival is the "Business Center Club".
