DUSHANBE, December 8, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan has produced 443,634 tons of cereals, including some 372,000 tons of wheat, this year, Bobomurod Tabarov, head of the grain department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, said.  

According to him, this year, 280,116 hectares of farmland have been sown with cereals this year, which is 23,300 hectares more than last year.  “Unfortunately, natural disasters have destroyed crops in the area of 23,293 hectares,” Tabarov said. 

Last year, Tajikistan produced 436,691 tons of cereals.  

The Tajik agriculture official noted that this year, the country has produced 19,417 tons f rice, which is 700 tons more than last year.     

Since Tajikistan is not able to meet its annual requirements in grain, it continues to import wheat and wheat flour from other countries.  

In January-September 2006, Tajikistan has imported 66,200 tons of wheat flour and 196,400 tons of wheat, which is 30,000 tons and 6,000 tons more respectively compared to the same period of last year, according to the Ghalla (grain supply) holding company. 

Kazakhstan provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s flour and wheat imports. ”Over the first nine months of this year, Tajikistan has received 262,900 tons of type one wheat flour from Kazakhstan, 2,100 tons from Uzbekistan, 1,200 tons from Russia and 700 tons from Kyrgyzstan.  Over the same nine-month period, Tajikistan has also received 169,900 tons of type three wheat from Kazakhstan, 24,500 tons from Uzbekistan, and 2,000 tons from Russia.