DUSHANBE, May 18, 2009, Asia-Plus — Specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) have estimated damage caused by torrential rain and resulting floods and mudslides to the country’s agrarian sector at more than 89 million somoni (equivalent to more than 20 million U.S. dollars).
In all disasters reportedly demolished some 40,000 hectares of areas under agricultural crops. The cotton subsector has been worst hit by disasters.
Torrential rains and resulting floods have demolished more than 22,000 hectares of cotton fields in the country, the source at a MoA said. According to him, damage caused to the cotton subsector has been estimated at some 22 million somoni (equivalent to some 5 million U.S. dollars).
Besides, heavy rainfalls that hit the country in April and May also destroyed some 8,000 hectares of areas under cereals. Damage caused to the grain fields has been estimated at more than 8 million somoni.
Torrential rain and mudslides also have seriously damaged areas under potatoes and fodder crops as well as watermelon, melon or gourd plantations. Some 3,000 hectares of orchards and more than 2,500 hectares of vineyards have also been damaged by torrential rain. Damage caused to potato and fodder crops as well as orchards and vineyards has been estimated at 51 million somoni.
Serious damage has also been caused to the livestock sector. 77 head of cattle and 353 head of sheep and goats have been killed by disasters.
In the regional cross section the worst hit region was the Khatlon province, where more than 17,000 hectares of agricultural fields have been demolished by disasters. Damage has been estimated at more than 33 million somoni.
In the northern Sughd province, torrential rain and resulting floods and mudslides have destroyed more than 15,000 hectares of agricultural fields. Damage caused to Sughd’s agrarian sector has been estimated at more than 22 million somoni.
In Gorno Badakhshan, disasters have caused 234,000 somoni worth of damage to 43 hectares of agricultural fields.
Among districts subordinate to the center the worst hit district was Hissor, where more than 4,000 hectares of cotton plantations were destroyed by heavy rainfalls and mudslides. Damage caused agricultural fields in Hissor has been estimated at 19 million somoni, the MoA source said. Heavy rainfalls have also caused serious damage to Roudaki, Shahrinav and Vahdat districts.
