DUSHANBE, December 14, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan has sown winter crops 78,979 hectares of farmland by December 14, which is 56.3 percent of this year’s winter crops sowing target.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection (MoAEP), Tajikistan hast to sow winter crops on a total area of 140,298 hectares this year.  Winter crops sowing campaign will last through January 2007.

In the regional cross section in 2003 there was an increase in industrial production by enterprises of all regions, the proportions of areas sown with winter crops are: Sughd province – 83 percent (38,860 ha of the projected 48,000 ha); Khatlon – 52.3 percent (32,089 ha from the projected 61,344 ha); districts subordinate to the center (RRP) – 21.3 percent (6,210 ha from the projected 29,154 ha) and Gorno Badakhshan – 45.6 percent (820 ha from the projected 1,800 ha). 

A source at a MoAEP said that at present the main problem is severe shortages of mineral fertilizers.