KHUJAND, July 12, 2008, Asia-Plus  - The northern province of Sughd is losing rice harvest because of shortage of water.  

The Sughd agriculture directorate head Bobojon Domulloyev considers that one may say with confidence today that the province will have rice this year 1,305 tons less because farmers had planted rice on the area 345 hectares less than last year.  

“The present rate of water inflow into the Qairoqqum reservoir is only 150 cubic meters per second, while the rate of outflow of water from the reservoir is 390 cubic meters per second,” Domulloyev said  

According to the regional agriculture directorate, the Sughd farmers plan to yield 17,742 tons of rice this year, while last year, they yielded 20,075 tons of rice.  

Specialists attribute reduction in rice productions to high salinity of lands and non-observance of crop rotation requirements.