DUSHANBE, July 8, 2014, Asia-Plus – Issues related to bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and China in the agrarian sector were discussed here today at a meeting of Tajik Minister of Agriculture Qosim Rohbar with the delegation of China’s Henan province, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) press center.

Speaking at the meeting, Rohbar pointed to the necessity of speeding up construction of the Agricultural High Technology Center in the Yovon district of Khatlon province.

Tajik minister reportedly outlined subsectors like fish breeding, bee keeping, yak breeding and seed farming as areas that could drive that agricultural cooperation between the two countries.

In 2013, a two-way trade between Tajikistan and China reportedly valued at more than 682 million U.S. dollars.  This consisted of Tajikistan’s exports to China estimated at 86.3 million U.S. dollars and Tajikistan’s imports from China worth 595.8 million U.S. dollars.

Tajikistan exports mainly cotton fiber, wool, fruits, dried fruits and licorice roots to China and Tajikistan’s imports from China include rice, tea, powdered milk and fruits.

We will recall that Chinese farmers working in Tajikistan intend to rent dry-farming lands in Qumsangir district of Khatlon province.  A subsidiary farm of China’s Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Qinyang Inhai is currently operating 280 hectares of land in Khatlon.  It is still the only Chinese farming unit functioning in Tajikistan.

Chinese farmers are currently operating 99 hectares lands in Rumi district and 181 hectares in Yovon district.  These lands are leased for 49 years.  In Yovon, Chinese farmers are cultivating cotton on 122 hectares, using seeds delivered from China.

In January 2011, Tajik authorities made a decision to lease some 500 hectares of land in Khatlon province to Chinese farmers – 150 hectares in Jomi district, 150 hectares in Yovon district and 85 hectares in Rumi district.

The MoA officials noted in January 2012 that Chinese farming unit will invest 2 million U.S. dollars and provide modern technologies to make those fields productive and efficient.