KHUJAND, July 7, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Sughd authorities have endorsed a gardening and viticulture development plan designed for the period till 2014.

Bobojon Domulloyev, the head of the Sughd agriculture directorate, said in an interview with Asia-Plus that new fruit orchards and vineyards would be planted on 20,000 hectares of abandoned lands by 2014.  “This will allow us to realize more profit from selling fruits and grapes,” Domulloyev said.

According to him, the fruit orchards and vineyards will be laid out gradually.  “By 2010, gardens and vineyards will have been planted on an area of 5,440 hectares,” Domulloyev said, noting that laying out new gardens and vineyards would increase Sughd’s export potential 1.4 times.

“The province will able to make up to 42.2 million U.S. dollars per year from selling fruits and grapes,” said Domulloyev, “For example, Sughd annually makes some 43 million U.S. dollars from selling cotton fibers.”

Last year, Sughd province made 37.3 million U.S. dollars from selling fruits and grapes.