KHUJAND, October 15, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Rice-harvesting campaign has been launched in the northern Sughd province and local farmers are expected to have a record rice harvest this year.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the Sughd agriculture directorate Bobojon Domulloyev said that local farmers have produced the first 379 tons of rice so far.

According to him, Sughd province has increased areas under rice.  This year, local farmers have planted rice on 6,653 hectares, which more than 1,000 hectares more than last year (in 2008, Sughd farmers planted rice on 5,494 hectares).  Bobojonghafurov, Jabborrasulov, Spitamen and Panjakent districts are the main rice producers in northern Tajikistan.

“This year’s rice target has been determined at 18,338 tons, however, under favorable conditions Sughd farmers may produce 20,000 tons of rice this year,” Domulloyev said, noting that last year, the province produced 16,491 tons of rice.

Sughd  province is the main rice producer in Tajikistan; more than 44 percent of the rice harvest comes from Zeravshan and Ferghana valleys in Sughd.