Ball?ca and Xanyurdu join Azerbaijan’s post-war transformation

By reactivating agricultural lands in Ball?ca and Xanyurdu, two villages in the once-occupied district of Khojaly, Azerbaijan, is not merely sowing seeds in the ground—it is planting the roots of community, dignity, and long-term national renewal. With online applications for land usage now open through the Electronic Agricultural Information System (EKTIS), the initiative marks another chapter in the country’s broader vision of revitalizing the territories that were restored to Azerbaijani control after decades of conflict.

What stands out about this program is its meticulous design: from streamlined application procedures to modern irrigation requirements, from prioritizing actual residents to ensuring transparency through digital registration. This is not merely a bureaucratic exercise. It is a testament to the careful thought being placed into ensuring that return is not only possible, but also productive.

The minimum land size for leasing—five hectares—and the emphasis on prepared, irrigated soil make it clear that this is about more than symbolic gestures. These plots are primed for cultivation, and the list of permitted crops includes both staple grains and high-value produce like grapes, tomatoes, and tree fruits. This variety reflects not only climatic suitability, but also a strategic intention: to enable both household sustenance and commercial scale farming.

There’s something profoundly hopeful in the sight of rural land becoming an engine of transformation. One might say agriculture is being used as a soft power tool in service of post-conflict restoration. Yet it is more than that. These initiatives are about giving families a reason to stay, roots to grow, and future generations a story to inherit.

The process is not only open to official residents but also acknowledges practical realities: actual place of residence verified through the Ministry of Internal Affairs' “e-polis” system becomes the key criterion. It is a subtle but significant detail—it ensures that those truly invested in the land, not just those with historical ties, get to take part in its revival.

Moreover, the phased timeline—from application acceptance to field orientation and training—speaks to an awareness that successful agriculture is not only about land access, but about knowledge, infrastructure, and preparation. One-year leases for annual crops and five-year terms for perennial crops allow for experimentation, adaptation, and ultimately, growth.

The return to the land in Ball?ca and Xanyurdu echoes a broader national transformation. The first steps in this process began in A?al? village, and the expanding momentum suggests this is just the beginning. It is the clearest demonstration yet that Azerbaijan’s post-conflict strategy is not limited to bricks and mortar, but includes soil, water, and seed as foundational pillars.

Where there was once absence, there is now potential. And where there was once silence, one can begin to imagine the buzz of tractors, the hum of irrigation pumps, the quiet toil of farmers, and the rhythms of a life that is lived with purpose and continuity.

Restoring rural life after war is never only about rebuilding—it’s about reimagining. And in the ordered rows of crops that will soon fill these fields, we may just glimpse a future that is, finally, self-sustaining.