DUSHANBE, October 27, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Over the first nine months of this year, gross agricultural product from all categories of farms has been 3.323 billion somoni (in current prices) and increased by 8.5 percent compared to the same period of last year, including crop growing products – by 9.7 percent and animal husbandry – by 5.7 percent, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Rahmonali Amirov, told reporters in Dushanbe on October 26.

According to him, over the report period, all categories of farms have produced 1.097 million tons of grain or 322,000 tons more than in January-September 2008, potatoes – 399,000 tons or 12,000 tons more, vegetables – more than 706,000 tons or 86,000 tons more, melon crops – some 338,000 tons or 123,000 tons more, and grapes – 81,000 tons or 1,743 tons more.

Over the same nine-month period, Tajikistan has exported more than 151,000 tons of farm produce, including more than 65,000 tons of dried fruits, which is 3.3 percent more than in the same period of 2008, Amirov said.