DUSHANBE, June 13, 2014, Asia-Plus -- Cereal harvesting campaign has started in the southern Khatlon province.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), farmers in Khatlon province have planted spring grain crops on 16,000 hectares this year, which is 79 percent more than it was originally planned.

6,600 hectares have been allocated for wheat growing; 3,100 hectares have been allocated for maize growing; 1,500 hectares for rice growing; and 4,600 hectares have been allocated for planting other grain crops.

Farmers in Sughd province have planted spring grain crops on 63,400 hectares.

District subordinate to the center have planted spring grain crops on 23,700 hectares.

Farmers in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) have planted spring grain crops 5,000 hectares.

In all, 108,800 hectares have been allocated for growing spring grain crops in Tajikistan this year, which is 4,100 hectares more than last year.

This year, Tajikistan is expected to yield 1.3 million tons of cereals, including 890,000 tons of wheat, an official source at a MoA said.