DUSHANBE, August 21, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik farmers have overfulfilled this year’s melon crop target, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).

“This year, farmers have planted melon crops on more than 17,500 hectares and planned to gather up to 151,400 tons of melon crops,” said the source, “In the meantime, they have gathered more than 160,000 tons of melons crops from 8,800 hectares to this day, which is 6 percent more than it was originally planned.”  Average melon crop yields were 18 tons per hectare.

The main melon crop producer in Tajikistan is Khatlon province.  Khatlon farmers have produced 148,400 tons of melon crops to this day, which is 55 percent more than it was originally planned, according to the source.  This year, Khatlon farmers have planted melon crops on 12,500 hectares and they have gathered melon crops from 7,500 hectares by August 20.

In Sughd province, melon crops have been planted on 4,100 hectares this year, and local farmers have gathered 12,300 tons of melon crops from 1,200 hectares by August 20, which is 25 percent of the target.  Sughd farmers have pledged to produce 49,200 tons of melon crops this year.