A spring sowing campaign is nearing completion in Tajikistan; all categories of rams have planted on an area of more than 395,000 hectares by May 16, which is about 90 percent of the target.
Total according to the forecast of the Ministry of Agriculture, Tajik farmers are planned to plant agricultural crops on the rea of 440,727 hectares.
In Tajikistan, high priority is still given to cotton; more than 40% of the country’s agricultural land is occupied by cotton.
An official source at a MoA says Tajik farmers have planted cotton on an area of 180,550 hectares by May 13, which is 97.1 percent of the target.
This year, Tajik farmers are planned to yield 432,000 tons of raw cotton from 186,000 hectares.
Last year, Tajik farmers reportedly yielded 411,900 tons of raw cotton, which was 95.8 percent of the target. 344,400 tons of raw cotton, or 83.6 percent of the target, were handed over to the cotton ginning factories.
Due to low purchasing prices, farming units, which have spaces to store cotton, have reportedly decided to hold onto 16.4 percent of the harvest in hopes of higher prices.
Last year, cotton ginneries cotton-growing farms for raw cotton at the rate of 6.00-7.00 somonis per kilogram, which is equal to the cost of production. As a result, most cotton-growing farmers suffered losses.
According to cotton-growing farming units’ calculations, cultivation of cotton on an area of 1 ha costs from 15,000 somonis and more.
Grain crops took second place in priority; during the spring sowing campaign, grain crops have reportedly been planted on a total area of more than 96,000 hectares.
Next come vegetables and melons, which have been planted on an area of 53,000 hectares.
During the spring sowing campaign, potatoes have reportedly been planted on area of 25,500 hectares with a collection target of 40,000 tons.
Experts note that productivity depends on irrigation, while some regions experience water shortages
