Agriculture is an important and organic part of the national economy of any country. Its role is great in ensuring the country's food security, improving the balance of payments and strengthening state independence. The state and proportions of development of other sectors of the national economy depend on the level and speed of development of agricultural production. This connection is reflected in both technical-technological and industrial-economic connections. At the same time, this connection is bilateral, with the increase of agricultural production, the structure and quality of food of the population improves, the volume of imported food decreases, which has a positive impact on reducing the balance of payments deficit and increasing the degree of independence of the country.
Due to the important role of agriculture, the field received a lot of attention in the first years of the restoration of independence, which is confirmed by the agrarian policy developed and implemented during that period, whose primary task was to ensure the country's food security and strengthen food independence. In connection with the important role of agriculture in the first years of the restoration of independence of the region, much attention was paid, which is confirmed by the agricultural policy developed and implemented during this period, the main task of which was to ensure the country's food security and strengthen food independence. At the same time, it was a great challenge for a country with a devastated economy, followed by significant reforms in agriculture, restructuring of the sector and the creation of an appropriate legal framework, the integration of state regulation of the market economy and self-regulatory mechanisms. However, under the influence of a number of external and internal factors, it was not possible to fully implement the developed agrarian policy. Agriculture is still characterized by low productivity and, consequently, by a small share in the sectoral structure of the national economy. The country has serious problems in supplying and providing vital agricultural products such as wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, meat and poultry.
The global pandemic and the resulting global economic crisis have put the issue of solving the country’s food security problem on the agenda. To this end, the revitalization of rural areas, social stability and balancing the level of migration from rural to urban areas should be a priority. Establishing food security is a complex task and is primarily the responsibility of the government. There is no universal mechanism for solving the global food security problem in the world today. This problem must be solved at the national level, as food security is considered to be a level of national food production that allows the principle of self-sufficiency of the population and state reserves with food to be implemented in accordance with scientifically substantiated norms. The current severe economic crisis in the country has further intensified the social background and demanded the strengthening of the stimulating and organizing function of the state.
The issue of state regulation of the agricultural sector should be considered in close connection with the development of entrepreneurship and self-regulation of production at the micro level, and priority should be given to measures that maximize the adaptation of producers to market economic conditions, increase production efficiency and competitiveness, which will ultimately contribute to the saturation of the market with domestic products and state food security.
It should also be noted that recent years and even more so the pandemic process, have once again confirmed the notions of omnipotence on the market mechanism. The market does not have a magic wand that will solve all the problems by itself and regulate the existing problems. The myth of the role of the "invisible hand" and the crisis itself is a thing of the past. The modern world community supports the social orientation of the economy, therefore "realizing the dangerous nature of social polarization", which can not be solved by bypassing state regulation and mechanisms.
Food Security and the Directions of Agrarian Policy in Azerbaijan
