KHUJAND, July 25, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Canneries in northern Tajikistan are experiencing an acute shortage of empty jars for their products.

The source at the Sughd food industry directorate said that because of lack of jars local canneries have to pack their products in aseptic packages.  

The Khujand-based Joint-stock company (JSC) Lal (jar-manufacturing plant) was supposed to produce 18.64 million 2-liter jars; however, it has produced only 4.078 million jars so far, the source said.  

“The Sughd canneries have completed processing apricots and time has come to produce tomato pasta,” said the source, “However, because of lack of jars the enterprises have to produce concentrates.  Thus, instead of apricot juice they are also producing apricot pasta and packing it in aseptic packages, hoping to process it in the autumn.”

Specialists say pasta may be kept in such packages for one year.  It might be processed in the autumn, but there is threat that refrigerators for keeping semi-finished fruit and vegetable products will not operate regularly because of electricity rationing that will be introduced in the province in a couple of months.