The Territorial Organization of Vegetable Growing in Lankaran-Astara Economic-Geographical Region

Abstract

The aim of the article is to examine the factors in the Lankaran-Astara economic and geographical region that affect the territorial organization, profitability, and marketability of modern vegetable varieties adapted to local conditions and differing in yield. Materials and methods: Statistical indicators obtained from the regional offices of the State Committee on Statistics of the Republic of Azerbaijan, materials from the Lankaran Experimental Station of the Institute of Vegetable Growing, materials and research conducted at processing enterprises, as well as various resources. Statistical, comparative, and observational methods were used in the study.  Results and discussion: According to the report on vegetable production in Azerbaijan for 2021 by the Center for Agricultural Research at the Ministry of Agriculture, 97.3 % of vegetables exported from Azerbaijan were destined for Russia in 2020. The first harvest of tomatoes grown in the open ground in the economic region falls at the end of June, while the first harvest in the Republic of Dagestan of the Russian Federation, which is the main external market for the sale of the product, falls on July 10. This determines the period of realization of the manufactured product. It has been established that due to its high yield and wide use in canning the “Azeri” cucumber variety is the most preferred for cultivation. Conclusions: A decrease in vegetable production was observed in the Lankaran-Astara economic and geographical region, while vegetable production in the republic during 2009–2019 generally increased. The main reason for this is that the Lankaran-Astara economic region lags behind other regions in vegetable growing, where vegetables are grown in greenhouses. The provided experiments demonstrate that the tomato variety cultivated in the Lankaran administrative district, “Zafar” exhibits a high marketable performance. Therefore, it would be expedient to incentivize the cultivation of this variety in other regions within the Lankaran-Astaran economic-geographical region. The results of the study indicate that the exploration and application of organic fertilizers and biohumus would be economically prudent.