DUSHANBE , May 4, Asia-Plus - Heavy rainfalls that hit Tajikistan at the end of the last week caused serious damage to the country’s agrarian sector.

Deputy Agriculture Minister, Qodir Qosimov, has told Asia-Plus that some 3,000 hectares of areas under cotton were damaged by the disaster.  The worst hit was the Yovon district, according to him.  “Some 1,900 hectares of areas under cotton and 600 hectares of areas under cereals were damaged by torrential rain in the district,” Tajik agriculture official said.

In the Danghara district of Khatlon, heavy rainfalls and hail damaged some 900 hectares of cotton fields, and some 200 hectares of cotton fields were damaged in the Khuroson district (Khatlon province), according to Qosimov.    

He says it is impossible to rehabilitate the damaged areas under cereals but the cotton fields will be re-sown.  “A thorough support will be provided to the disaster-hit farming units,” said the deputy minister, “They will be provided with seeds, fuel and fertilizers for carrying out re-sowing campaign”  

On a volume of damage caused by the disaster, Qodir Qosimov noted that a special commission had been set up to assess an actual volume of damage caused by torrential rain to those districts.   

In the meantime, a cotton-sowing campaign is still ongoing in Tajikistan .  According to figures provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, 257,849 hectares of lands have been sown with cotton as of May 2.  This year, cotton-growing farms in Tajikistan plan to sow with cotton 258,589 hectares of lands.