Azerbaijan has begun insuring strawberry crops as part of its ongoing state-supported agricultural insurance program for fruit orchards and berry plantations, the Ministry of Agriculture told Trend.

The process of agricultural insurance for strawberry fields has now been introduced across the country.

In 2023, 313 hectares were planted with strawberries, and in 2024, another 221 hectares were added. Currently, Azerbaijan has a total of 4,256 hectares of land planted with strawberries and other berries, with approximately 4,000 hectares already bearing fruit.

The most extensive strawberry cultivation is found in the regions of Jalilabad (600 hectares), Lankaran (360 hectares), Masalli (300 hectares), and Shamkir (300 hectares).

The average annual yield from strawberry plantations is close to 10 tons per hectare, with the Jalilabad district setting a record last year, reaching an impressive 32 tons per hectare.

The state-supported agricultural insurance scheme covers strawberry crops against a wide range of risks, including hail, loss of quality from hail, storms, floods, third-party actions, wild animal attacks, and other unforeseen events.

Farmers can insure their crops with favorable terms and minimal payment, as the government covers 50 percent of the insurance premium. For instance, insuring strawberry crops worth 1,000 manat ($588.2) will cost farmers 14.7 manat ($8.6) in the Lankaran-Astara region, 14.2 manat ($8.3) in the Central Aran region, 30.7 manat ($18) in the Gazakh-Tovuz region, and 16 manat ($9.4) in the Quba-Khachmaz region.

Source - https://en.trend.az