DUSHANBE, November 28, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- According to the crops sector department within the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Tajik farmers have planted winter crops on an area of more than 115,000 hectares by November 28.

         In all, winter crops are planned to have been sown on an area of 229,500 hectares this year.  Of those 229,500 ha, 170 ha of irrigated lands will be sown with winter wheat.  By Friday, farmers have planted winter wheat on the area of 109,000 hectares           

         As it had been reported earlier, compared to last year areas under winter crops this year will have been increased by 50 percent.  According to MoA, specialists expect farmers to yield 510,000 tons of the winter wheat from 170,000 hectares, with average yields of 3 tons per one hectare.     

The MoA source said that Tajikistan had stocked in 47,000 tons of grain seeds, including 45,150 tons of wheat seeds, for both autumn and spring sowing campaigns. 

Besides, the country has also stocked in 38,800 tons of potato seeds.