AZERBAIJANIS STUDY ROLE OF U.S. AGRICULTURE

An agribusiness group from Azerbaijan, an independent republic on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, is in Cape Girardeau this week to study agriculture and techniques of lending money to farmers and agribusinesses.

Azerbaijan, a nation of about 33,400 square miles -- about half the size of Missouri -- and more than 6.5 million people, was part of the Republic of the Soviet Union until 1936, when it became a separate republic called Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.

In 1991, the country declared itself independent and joined the Commonwealth of Independence States, a confederation of former Soviet republics. Agriculture privatization has not occurred in the country, and there is concern about the agricultural industry, said Lester Goodin, coordinator of an international development program that arranged the tour in Missouri.

The group arrived here Monday and will end its tour June 26 at Kansas City.

Oil is the chief source of income to Azerbaijan. Other resources include iron, aluminum ore and cobalt. Fishing is also a big industry. Baku, the republic's largest city with 1.6 million people, is the center of the oil industry.

Southeast Missouri State University is cooperating with Agriculture Management Group, Harris-Stowe State College, the Missouri Extension Service and private organizations to instruct and provide information to the group.

Farmers in Azerbaijan's lowlands grow corn, cotton, rice and some fruits. But with no privatization of land, collateral for farm loans is nonexistent.

"This is one of the things the group is looking at here," said Goodin. "There are seven bankers and three farmers in the 10-party group. They're very interested in the farm-loan system in the U.S."

Goodin, of Cape Girardeau, has been a Southeast Missouri farmer for more than 20 years. He is a consultant with Agriculture Management Group of Great Bend, Kan.

"I've been to Russia, and I have arranged for other groups to visit the U.S.," he said. A year ago Goodin arranged a visit by a group from the Ukraine.

The Azerbaijanis visited the Southeast Missouri State demonstration farm Tuesday morning and have field trips scheduled to farms Thursday and Friday.

Following the university's farm tour, Dr. Duane Ford, director of the university's department of agriculture, talked with the group about developing a business plan, marketing strategy and budgets.

"We'll be showing the visitors a row-crop farm Thursday," said Goodin. "We'll follow that with a no-till farm tour Thursday."

The group visits Charleston today to visit the Production Credit Association field office.

The group's study in Southeast Missouri will end early next week. The group will leave Cape Girardeau June 16 for a week at Harris-Stowe State College in St. Louis, again concentrating on agricultural lending procedures and trips to community development projects.

From St. Louis the group will go to Kansas City for visits to Farmland Industries, the Kansas City Board of Trade and ConAgra, an international food company. ConAgra officials will discus its investments overseas. The group also will see a presentation of investment opportunities in Azerbaijan.