 Azeris living in rural parts of the country were mainly engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry in kolkhozes and sovkhozes, as well as small-scale trade and industry.Farmer unions were assigned relatively small units of land, which, however, gave more output than most state-owned lands elsewhere in Georgia.Factors such as fertile land, proximity of the capital city and easy access to major Soviet markets allowed Azeri farmers to enjoy relatively prosperous lives, according to Soviet standards.