Published in 2022. This publication was prepared to reveal the current situation in the use of agricultural lands in the liberated territories of Karabakh. In the preparation of the monitoring report, the facts and information obtained by various means (conducting surveys and focus group discussions among farmers, collecting information from Internet resources, collecting information through private individuals on the ground, etc.) were administered.
The publication revealed that the demined agricultural lands in Karabakh and the lands illegally planted by Armenians are now being used (given on lease) through the Ministry of Agriculture under the control of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The companies cultivating the Karabakh lands are large farms previously owned by the ruling family and monopolistic officials who have been implicated in the illegal seizure of land. The investigation revealed that the area of lands temporarily involved in crop rotation in the liberated territories, the type and quantity of products supplied, the names of companies carrying out planting work and state orders at the expense of the budget are kept secret from the community.
No other information is provided on the work carried out in Karabakh, except for brief statements made by the Coordination Headquarters established to resolve socio-economic, humanitarian, organizational and other urgent issues in the liberated territories by presidential decree, as well as to coordinate activities in this area. The most non-transparent body in this area is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry refuses to respond to inquiries about leased arable land and projects in Karabakh, does not prepare any reports, does not publish press releases or posts on its website.
The monitoring report includes existing statistics and forecasted arable lands of the liberated regions, cultivated lands in 2020 and 2021, expected sowing in 2022, sowing companies, seed supply, amounts of subsidies provided from the state budget in connection with illegal sowing for sowing area and per product, establishment of tax, social payment, import duty and preferential credit mechanisms by the state for these companies, as well as the expected distribution of Karabakh lands among the population (those envisaged for backyards and arable land), possibilities of carrying out the land reforms (change of ownership of a part of state lands to municipal and private) and the prevailing legal framework in this area were discussed in detail. The publication concluded with recommendations based on the comprehensive results of the study and findings.