DUSHANBE, February 25, 2016, Asia-Plus – Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has ordered to increase fruit and vegetable exports to Russia by 50 percent this year and triple them in 2017.

This order came during an address to a meeting of district administrators in the Hisor district on February 25.

“Russia, which is our strategic partner today, is interested in importing fruits and vegetables from Tajikistan that also meets our interests,” Rahmon said.

To-date, Tajik entrepreneurs have established fruitful cooperation with their colleagues from Russia’s Krasnodar region, he noted.

The president stressed that Tajikistan had potential to increase fruit and vegetable exports.  According to him, new gardens and vineyards have been planted on more than 75,000 hectares in recent years.

“Besides, new gardens and vineyards will be planted on more than 20,000 hectares in the coming four years,” Rahmon said, noting that more than 200,000 tons of early onions should be exported to the Russian Federation this year.