DUSHANBE, January 15, 2015, Asia-Plus — Today more than 6,300 hectares of arable lands in Tajikistan are reportedly being cultivated by Chinese investors.
Tajik Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Sijouddin Isroilov, told journalists in Dushanbe on January 15 that China’s Qinyang Inhai has rented 6,000 hectares of lands in the Danghara district (Khatlon province).
“Besides, Chinese investors have rented 300 hectares of land sin the Yovon district (Khatlon province) and 46 hectares on the outskirts of Vahdat Township,” Isroilov noted.
According to him, those lands have been allocated to cultivation of cotton and cereals. “Local farmers are cultivating these lands under the guidance of Chinese specialists,” the deputy minister added.
A total area of arable lands in Tajikistan is reportedly about 865,000 hectares.
We will recall that the Ministry of Agricultures (MoA) noted last year that Chinese farmers working in Tajikistan intend to rent dry-farming lands in Qumsangir district of Khatlon province, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).
An official source at a MoA told Asia-Plus on February 28, 2014 that a subsidiary farm of China’s Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Qinyang Inhai is currently operating 280 hectares of land in Khatlon. According to him, it is the only Chinese farming unit functioning in Tajikistan.
“Chinese farmers are currently operating 99 hectares lands in Rumi district and 181 hectares in Yovon district. These lands are leased for 49 years,” said the source. “In Yovon, Chinese farmers are cultivating cotton on 122 hectares. They have used seeds delivered from China.”
In January 2011, Tajik authorities made a decision to lease some 500 hectares of land in Khatlon province to Chinese farmers – 150 hectares in Jomi district, 150 hectares in Yovon district and 85 hectares in Rumi district. The MoA officials noted in January 2012 that Chinese farming unit will invest 2 million U.S. dollars and provide modern technologies and technical to make those fields productive and efficient.
