New land lease agreements signed in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur

Lease agreements for the use of land for cultivation purposes have been signed with residents of Zabukh village in the Lachin district, Hasanriz village in the Aghdara district, and the settlement of Girmizi Bazar in the Khojavand district.

This was reported with reference to the Ministry of Agriculture.

It was noted that representatives of the Presidential Special Representative’s Office in Lachin, officials of the Ministry and its subordinate institutions, employees of the State Agrarian Development Centers of Lachin, Tartar, and Khojavand, as well as local residents, farmers, and entrepreneurs took part in the event.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ilhama Gadimova stated that the allocation of land for cultivation purposes is carried out in accordance with the decree of the President dated November 27, 2024, and the rules approved by the Cabinet of Ministers’ decision dated December 26, 2024, titled “Rules for leasing agricultural land in the territories liberated from occupation to residents of villages and settlements on preferential terms.”

The Deputy Minister noted that the process of accepting applications from residents for the use of land for cultivation was conducted through the Electronic Agriculture Information System (EKTIS) during the following periods: September 25–October 25, 2025 for Zabukh village; December 30, 2025–February 2, 2026 for Hasanriz village; and February 13–March 13, 2026 for the Girmizi Bazar settlement. In total, 145 applications were received from residents of Zabukh, 139 from Hasanriz, and 84 from Girmizi Bazar. To ensure the timely completion of the process, comprehensive technical support was provided to residents by employees of the State Agrarian Development Centers of Lachin, Tartar, and Khojavand.

The submitted applications were analyzed, and since demand for the offered land parcels was high, applicants were informed about the possibility of consolidation in accordance with the rules. As a result, among the approved applicants, 62 individuals in Zabukh formed 8 cooperatives, 37 individuals in Hasanriz formed 4 cooperatives, and 8 individuals in Girmizi Bazar formed 2 family farms. At the initial stage, lease agreements were signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and the cooperatives as well as the residents united in family farms.

According to the rules, residents who have been allocated land plots must use them in accordance with their designated purpose, cultivate crops suitable for the local climate conditions and recommended by specialists, use only certified seeds and seedlings, and take appropriate agrotechnical measures to protect, maintain, restore, and improve soil quality. Lease agreements with residents who fail to comply with the established rules will be terminated, and the land plots will be reassigned to other residents for proper use.

The lease period is set at 2 years for annual crops and alfalfa, and 5 years for perennial crops. The duration of the agreements may be extended in subsequent years depending on the efficiency of land use.

Within the framework of the event, information sessions were organized for residents on state support measures in the agricultural sector, services provided by institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture, the agricultural subsidy mechanism, financing for the purchase of machinery and breeding livestock, allocation of agricultural loans, the importance of modern irrigation systems, and the application of agricultural insurance mechanisms. Farmers’ participation in the Agribusiness Festival held in the city of Lachin was also ensured.

It should be noted that during the training sessions related to the allocation of agricultural land for cultivation purposes, residents of Zabukh, Hasanriz, and the Girmizi Bazar settlement were informed about application procedures through EKTIS, terms and requirements, the importance of modern irrigation systems, efficient farm management, effective use of machinery, vegetable growing, crop production, horticulture, agriculture, state support measures for farmers, rules of conduct in liberated territories, and the impact of climate change on agriculture. Certificates were awarded to residents who successfully completed the training. All farmers who signed lease agreements successfully completed these trainings.