Shamakhi: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the ‘Shirvan Agro’ livestock complex in the Shamakhi district.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the head of the Shamakhi District Executive Authority, Tahir Mammadov, provided a briefing to the president about the new complex. Spanning nearly 100 hectares, the facility is designed to supply the nation with high-quality milk and meat products, promote exports, and bolster regional development by increasing employment opportunities in Shamakhi and nearby districts.
The complex is capable of housing 9,000 head of cattle, including 3,200 dairy cows, 3,000 beef cattle, and 2,800 calves. Breeds such as Holstein-Friesian, Limousin, and Aberdeen Angus are currently being raised at the facility. It is equipped with the latest technologies and managed using artificial intelligence, making it one of the largest livestock facilities in the Caucasus region and across the CIS. It is also the first in the country to utilize alternative and green energy sources.
A Training and Education Center is set to operate within the complex to train highly qualified specialists and introduce cutting-edge technologies. The facility boasts the largest ‘carousel’-type milking system in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus, alongside a ‘parallel’ milking system. An online milk quality analyzer has been installed at each milking point, and an advanced rapid cooling system is in place to cool milk from 32°C to 4°C. Additionally, the country’s first Reproduction Center using the latest genetic material to boost milk yield has been established.
An innovative herd management system ensures early diagnosis and treatment of animal diseases. Real-time herd monitoring, efficient fattening management, and electronic weight calculation are conducted using a specialized scale system. ‘AfiCollar’ electronic neck collars are employed for animal identification, health monitoring, and precise determination of insemination timing.
The complex also features an advanced feed center and a meat processing area with a ‘Dry Age’ room equipped with state-of-the-art systems. Over 200 residents of Shamakhi and surrounding districts have found employment at the enterprise, which also includes a residential building for commuting workers and foreign specialists.
During the opening, President Ilham Aliyev met with enterprise employees and addressed the gathering. He highlighted the significance of creating jobs and establishing conditions conducive to agricultural development in Shamakhi and the entire country. He emphasized the goal of achieving self-sufficiency in meat, milk, and dairy products, and the potential for future exports.
The president underscored the role of the complex in enhancing employment in the Shamakhi district and noted the ongoing development, including Shamakhi’s emergence as a tourism center and improvements in infrastructure such as the Shamakhi-Baku highway. He also mentioned the construction of the new Shamakhi-Ismayilli-Gabala highway, expected to be completed next year.
The opening of the complex coincides with the celebration of Ramadan and Novruz, adding symbolic significance to the event. President Aliyev expressed his congratulations and wished success to the enterprise.