DUSHANBE, December 12, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan has reached only 85 percent of the winter crops sowing target to this date, Asia-Plus has learned at the grains and industrial crops department within the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).  

Usually, the winter grains-sowing campaign is carried out till the first snowing and some mountain areas, it has already been completed.    

“This year, winter crops were expected to have been planted on an area of 229,500 hectares, while farmers have planted them on the area of 193,500 hectares so far, which is 116,000 hectares more than last year,” said the source at MoA, “184,452 hectares have been sown with winter wheat.” 

According to the MoA, the most serious situation is in the Sughd province, which has reached only 43.7 percent of the winter crops sowing target.