President Emomali Rahmon’s working visit to the southern province of Khatlon is under way.  After Jayhun district, he visited Dousti district, where he kicked off the grape harvest, according to the Tajik president’s official website.    

In the Closed Joint-Stock Company (CJSC) Juntai-Khatlon Sin Silu, which is a Tajik-Sino joint venture, Emomali Rahmon got acquainted with the course of the growing season of cotton.  

It was noted that this year, shareholders of this company have sown the Dousti cotton variety on the area of 3,365 hectares.  This cotton variety has reportedly been adapted to the climate and weather of the region, and an average productivity of this cotton variety is 4 tons per hectare.

This year, farmers intend to yield up to 14,000 tons of raw cotton, which is 2,000 hectares more than last year.  

Recall, the agricultural ministries of Tajikistan and China signed an agreement in July 2010, under which farmers from China’s Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) were supposed to use modern technology of plastic film mulching cultivation of cotton on 60 hectares of cotton fields in Kushoniyon district of the Khatlon province.  Besides, 1,000 hectares of farmland in Khatlon’s Jayhun district were allocated to plastic film mulching cultivation of rice.

In 2012, Tajik authorities reportedly allowed Chinese farmers to rent hundreds of hectares of land in Khatlon’s Balkhi and Yovon districts. 

After CJSC Juntai-Khatlon Sin Silu, Emomali Rahmon visited the farming unit named after Muhammad Osimi, where he gave start to the harvest of early ripening grapes.  

The head of state also visited an exhibition, which has reportedly showcased more than 30 types of agricultural products grown by farmers of Dousti district.  

The president also visited the Ashourbek-2012 farming unit, which specializes in the cultivation of corn and rice.

Rahmon attended an official opening ceremony of Ganji Deha Limited Liability Company (LLC) in this farming unit.  Ganji Deha LLC will produce vegetable oil and plastic containers and bottles.