On June 15, 2022 IOFS Director General H.E. Yerlan A. Baidaulet was invited to visit Food Safety Institute. The institution established under the National Food Safety Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan operates under the concept of "From Farm to Fork" modality to protect public health and ensure efficient management of the food security system in 4 areas: food safety standards, an integrated research laboratory, veterinary and phytosanitary controls. Capturing 4 mobile and 3 field laboratories, the technically well-equipped institute ensures conducting advanced research on food safety indicators at all stages of food supply chain.
Additionally, IOFS Director General held a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Makhmud Mammad-Guliyev. Parties during lively discussion exchanged views on the prospects for Azerbaijan's membership in IOFS, explored facilitating of membership procedures, amount of mandatory contributions, benefits and obligations of the membership and expressed mutual hope to prompt settle of the Azerbaijan accession to the IOFS.
Furthermore, Mr. Yerlan A. Baidaulet met with Deputy Minister of Agriculture H.E. Mr.Elchin Zeynalov and Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry Mr.Rashad Farajov. The IOFS Director General reviewed about the strategic mission and recent activities of the Organization, prospects for cooperation and opportunities for multilateral partnership to support national achievements in agricultural and rural developments. The Azerbaijani side reported on the procedures being taken for the country's accession to the Organization's membership and establishing a joint working group to facilitate bilateral cooperation.
On the second part of the day IOFS Director General visited Research Institute of Crop Husbandry of Azerbaijan, where he met with Director Dr.Khudayev Faiq, Deputy Director for General Affairs Dr. Ahmadov Shikar, Scientific secretary Dr. Hajiyeva Sevda and Deputy Director for Production Dr. Novruzlu Garib. It is an active participant in the IOFS Wheat Development and Developments of Genebanks Programs. Institute creates new varieties of high-yielding, ecologically adapting plants as well as produces elite seeds.
Annually it crops more than 20 thousand experimental samples of grain and leguminous for research works. Currently, the Institute successively breeds widely recognized durum wheat - Baraketli-95, soft wheat Gobustan, Ruzi-84, Sheki-1, yielding up to 7 tons per hectare in arid areas. The Institute has 11 zonal experiment stations and a gene bank for medium-term storage of a collection of genomes of valuable agricultural plants for 1450 accessions. Parties discussed further steps to expand bilateral technical cooperation and attract new partners from member states.
