KHUJAND, September 4, 2009, Asia-Plus  --Sughd farmers have produced the first 1,500 tons of potatoes to this date.

According to a chief specialist with the Sughd agriculture directorate Farhod Soliyev, Sughd potato farms expect to harvest 275,000 tons of potatoes this year.  “In 2008, local farmers produced little more than 268,000 tons of potatoes,” Soliyev said.

He added that all categories of farms in the province also plan to harvest some 102,000 tons of onions this year, which is 10,000 tons more than last year.