During a meeting with reporters, the Minister of Agriculture Qurbon Hakimzoda on July 31 suggested a number of proposals that he believed would contribute to lowering prices for agricultural goods.
He, in particular, suggests that the period of benefits granted to poultry and fish breeders as well as beekeepers be extended.
Besides, the minister proposes to lower electricity rates for industrial cold storages and regulate activities of intermediaries in the trade of agricultural products.
“An effective implementation of benefits granted to poultry and fish breeders as well as beekeepers has shown that the number of enterprises in these areas is constantly growing,” Hakimzoda noted.
Recall, these enterprises have been exempt from paying income tax, VAT, road use tax and real estate tax for five years.
Lately, enterprises in these areas have been facing difficulties and need to extend the benefits provided by the government for a certain period.
In the first half of this year, production of eggs and honey decreased in the country by 3.8 and 0.3 percent, respectively.
Currently, Tajikistan can provide with eggs only 65 percent of its population. “Over the first six months of this year, all categories of farms in Tajikistan have produced 555 million pieces of eggs, which is 21.7 percent fewer than in the same period last year,” the minister said.
“Over the same six-month period, fish production has reportedly increased to 495 tons, 43.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year,” he noted.
Concerning the proposal to lower electricity rates for industrial cold storages, Hakimzoda noted: “Fruits and vegetables are kept in thee storages for 3-6 months that leads increase in electricity consumption, and this, for its turn, will lead to increase in the prices for these products.”
At one of government sessions, Tojikmatloubot (Cooperatives’ Union), the Agency on State Material Reserves and Dushanbe Administration were instructed to buy a total more than 50,000 tons of products from farming units.
According to the minister, this is also a good incentive for the sale of agricultural products.
Hakimzoda also noted prices for agricultural goods at bazaars in the country’s large cities. He proposes to regulate activities of intermediaries in the trade of agricultural products.
