KHOROG, January 18, - According to information from the GBAO Agency for Statistics, last year’s agricultural product in Gorno Badakhshan from all categories of farms was only 96.5 million Somonis and decreased by 493,000 Somonis compared to 2004.  

Mulkamon Nazaraliyev, head of the GBAO Agriculture Administration, has told Asia -Plus that slump in the farm produce resulted from decrease in production of cereals by 8.7 percent, potatoes by 7.2 percent and other vegetables by 1.2 percent.  

“The main reason for decrease in production of cereals and potatoes is low-quality seeds of potatoes and cereals in Ishkashim District and damage caused by the flooding to 258 hectares of lands sown with cereals, vegetables and potatoes,” the Asia-plus interlocutor said.  

According to him, degradation of lands has also affected productivity of crops.

“At the same time, last year was good for production of fruits, stock-raising produce, poultry and bee-keeping,” said Nazaraliyev, “According to figures, compared to 2004 production of fruits in the region increased by 13.2 percent, meat by 2.7 percent, milk by 2.4 percent, and production of honey increased by 4.8 percent.”