Fish and poultry prices have risen significantly in Tajikistan. Specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture say the price hike has resulted from shortages of these products.
Today, an average price for one kilogram of local fish is 40.00 somoni while imported frozen fishes are sold at an average rate of 28.00 somoni per one kilogram.
According to the statistical data from the Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan, Tajikistan over the first four months of this year has imported some 288 tons of fishes. Last year, Tajikistan imported some 3,000 tons of fishes.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Tajikistan over the first four months of this year has produced more than 421.1 tons of fishes, which was 17.3 percent more than in the same period last year.
In 2018, Tajikistan reportedly produced little more than 2,000 tons of fishes, which was 133 tons more than in 2017.
Meanwhile, in accordance with nutritional standards developed by the Tajik government, a person should eat 25 grams of fish and fish products per day and nine kilograms of fish and fish products per year.
Some 80,000 tons of fishes are needed to meet requirements of Tajikistan’s population of nine million in fish and fish products.
Tajikistan now mainly produces carp, wild carp, silver carp, trout and grass carp.
The fishery sector currently plays a minor role in development of the rural economy of Tajikistan. Despite the availability of extensive water resources (ponds, reservoirs, lakes, rivers and channels), fish production has fallen in the country.
Fishery in Tajikistan started with the construction of Farkhad and Qairoqqum reservoirs in the north of the country. Aquaculture development received the most attention. In the early 1960s the government carried out a large-scale program of fish farming development. Under this program aquaculture farms with a total area of about 2 500 hectares (ha) were established. Currently, there are two breeding fisheries and five fish farms with a total area of more than 3,000 ha, including 1,500 ha for production of commercial fishes
As far as poultry farming is concerned, according to the data from the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan there were 6,700 head of poultry as of January 1, 2019. Today, 109 poultry farms operate in the country, including 79 in Sughd province, 21 in districts subordinate to the center, eight in Khatlon province and one in the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).
According to data from the Agency for Statistics, Tajikistan in 2018 produced 7,135 tons of poultry meat, which was 307 tons more than in 2017.
Last year, Tajikistan imported 27,400 tons of frozen poultry meat, which was 16,700 tons fewer than in 2017.
The United States, Canada, Turkey, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan provide the bulk of Tajikistan’s frozen chicken imports.
