DUSHANBE, February 2, Asia-Plus — Specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection (MoAEP) say that land reform in Tajikistan has been carried out with numerous mistakes and shortcomings, especially in distribution of lands and providing farming units with certificates allowing them to use the land.
The source at a MoAEP said that a survey conducted last year show that although lands and properties in 23 percent of 28,000 dehqan (peasant) farms existing in the country have been distributed and they have received land certificates, they continue to work in the old fashion.
“It happens by order of heads of districts, where these farming units are located,” the source said, adding that therefore farmers have been disappointed with this system and some of them have left for Russia in search of seasonal work.
“Besides, sometimes only one dehqan farm is established on the basis of one collective or state farm,” said the source, “Such farming units constitute 37 percent of a total amount of dehqan farms created in the country.” According to him this problem is the most serious is in four districts of Sughd and eleven districts of Khatlon.
A special commission comprising representatives from the MoAEP and the Agency for Land-tenure Regulation should thoroughly survey a state of farming units in the republic and submit its proposals on improving the situation to the government by March 1.
