DUSHANBE, July 17, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The administration of the Rumi district in the southern province of Khatlon has canceled a contract with China’s Qinyang Inhai on leasing farmland, Abboskhouja Yahyokhoujayev, the head of the Crop Production Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, told journalists in Dushanbe on July 17.

According to him, the contract was canceled because the Chinese company failed to fulfill the agreement on use of land plots in the Rumi district.

“Chinese farmers have not sown these lands this year though it is one of the main terms of the agreement.  The contract on leasing 270 hectares of farmland in the Rumi district was concluded for 49 years,” Yahyokhoujayev noted.

Meanwhile, Qinyang Inhai is continuing to work in the Yovon district, where it holds 302 hectares on lease for 49 years. In Yovon, Chinese farmers are cultivating cotton on 122 hectares, using seeds delivered from China.

In Vahdat, the Chinese company holds 15 hectares on lease for 20 years for construction of the plant for shelling of seeds.

We will recall that Chinese farmers working in Tajikistan also intend to rent dry-farming lands in Qumsangir district of Khatlon province.  A subsidiary farm of China’s Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Qinyang Inhai is currently operating more than 300 hectares of land in Khatlon.  It is still the only Chinese farming unit functioning in Tajikistan.

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 to make those fields productive and efficient.