DUSHANBE, November 21, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan has produced 434,900 tons of cereals, with more than a half of them being wheat, by November 20, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). 

This year, cereals had been planted in the area of more than 280,000 hectares.  Experts from the Ministry of Economy and Trade (MoET) expected Tajikistan to have produced 1.012 million tons of cereals this year, but it did not happen.  According to expert estimates, wheat was supposed to account for more than 70 percent of the country’s cereals harvest this year.  But drought and bad weather conditions have seriously affected the grain harvesting campaign in the country. 

Deputy Agriculture Minister, Qodir Qosimov, said that the worst hit areas were Ghonchi, Istaravshan, Gharm, Tursunzoda and Shahrinav.  “Thee results of the grain harvesting campaign will be summed up only in December,” Qosimov said, adding that the country will not be able to fulfill its cereals target this year.  He added that the MoA is currently assessing the damage caused by the drought.  

“This year’s grain yields do not differ considerably from the last year’s indices and,” said the deputy minister, “Average grain yields in Tajikistan increased from 1.7 tons/ha in 2005 to 1.73 tons/ha this year.”

“This year’s grain yields do not differ considerably from the last year’s indices,” said the deputy minister, “Average grain yields in Tajikistan increased from 1.7 tons/ha in 2005 to 1.73 tons/ha this year.”  According to him, Tajikistan may possibly produce little more than 900,000 of cereals this year.

Qosimov noted that Tajikistan annual requirements in cereals are 1.5 million tons.  According to him, Tajikistan will not able to meet its annual requirements in cereals in the coming several years.  

Tajikistan annually imports more than 700,000 tons of wheat and wheat flour.  According to Ghalla (Tajikistan’s grain supply company), import of wheat and wheat flour annually rises by 10%-15%.  Over the first ten months of this year Tajikistan has imported 300,929 tons of wheat for US$38.8 million and 217,442 tons of wheat flour for US$21.5 million.  Kazakhstan providing the bulk of Tajikistan’s grain imports accounts for 90 percent of wheat and flour imported by Tajikistan.  Today, the price of one 50-kilogram sack of wheat in Dushanbe fluctuates from 46 somonis to 50 somonis, which is 2 somonis more compared to last month.