DUSHANBE, April 15, Asia-Plus — The food security is one of the main problems facing Tajik society, and therefore, the government has taken this issue under its control, Ms. Saodat Soibnazarova, the chairperson of the sectorial development department within the Center for Strategic Studies, remarked in an interview with Asia-Plus.
According to her, external factors such as global food product shortages, rise in international cereal prices and fall in world’s grain stock have impacted the current food security situation in the country.
Ms. Soibnazarova noted that the government had worked out a new food security program based on the results of survey conducted by the Center in 2007. “Implementation of the program will allow considerably reducing shortage of food products in the country by 2010,” said the expert, “At present, food imports account for more than 50 percent of food products being realized on consumer market in the country.”
With introduction of modern methods – new forms of financing, all-round implementation of the country’s laws on mortgage and agrileasing – achievement of the food security within the next three years is becoming practicable.
“It will be possible only if a number of problems in the agrarian sector are removed,” she said.
In the meantime, issues related to food security and some other problems facing Tajik society were discussed at après conference given by the Center for Strategic Studies today.
