Exchange Cultivates Farmer’s Interest in Organic Produce
Shohrat Mammadov, Director of Shabran LTD, gained a larger market share by expanding his business to meet a growing demand for organic produce in Azerbaijan. The idea came about as a result of Mammadov’s experience during a USAID-supported Small Agribusinesses in a Market Economy exchange visit to Des Moines, Iowa. There, he and other Azerbaijani farmers were introduced to agribusiness management techniques for insuring viability and sustainability, such as financial management, new product development, and marketing.
During the exchange, Mammadov and his colleagues visited a number of farms, businesses and organizations to learn how agribusinesses are run in the U.S. Growing organic vegetables interested Mammadov most and he used every opportunity during his trip to learn more about subject. Upon his return to Davachi, Mammadov purchased two hectares of land and applied for a license for his experiment with organic farming.
Beginning in September 2007, Shabran LTD will begin using its greenhouse on the new land in Davachi for growing organic vegetables. In the meantime, Shabran LTD has struck an agreement with representatives from Harris Seeds, whom he met with during the exchange, to import their products to Azerbaijan.
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| Mammadov and colleagues participate in the Des Moines, IA training |
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