Dunay Badirkhanov: AI tools vital for digital transformation in agriculture sector

One of the key tasks for digital transformation in the agricultural sector in Azerbaijan is to systematically integrate artificial intelligence tools, Dunay Badirkhanov, Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Azerbaijan Space Agency (Azercosmos) under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, said at the 5th Agribusiness Development Forum held within the framework of Caspian Agro Week in Baku, Report informs.

According to him, the agency has brought a different perspective to agriculture: "For 9 years now, we have been supporting the decision-making process in the agricultural sector based on satellite data, and during this period, the approach applied has fundamentally changed the management logic of agriculture. Through satellites, we can now see very quickly which area has been cultivated and which part has been left empty. This helps us better understand how the land is being used, distribute subsidies more transparently, and detect unused areas in a timely manner."

He added that this was essentially the beginning of a new stage in agricultural management: "Since 2019, an accurate crop cover map encompassing all cultivated areas in Azerbaijan has been prepared, and we update it every year. Based on 2025 data, accuracy indicators for strategic crops are in the range of 92-99% according to satellite-based data. This is a very high result. Satellite data shows us what is happening on the land today. Artificial intelligence, based on that data, enables us to understand what awaits us tomorrow."

Badirkhanov emphasized that Azerbaijan has already established important foundations for digital transformation in the agricultural sector: "Now the key tasks ahead are as follows: to widely implement these solutions at the national level, to systematically integrate artificial intelligence tools, to strengthen the digital skills of farmers, and to further expand international partnerships."