QURGHON TEPPA, February 29, Asia-plus  -- Extreme winter weather has caused serious damage to the agrarian sector of Khatlon’ Panj district, Saidimon Rahmonov, the head of the Panj agriculture directorate, said.

According to him, unusually cold weather has inflicted particularly severe damage to the district’s animal husbandry. 

“The results of survey conducted by the UN FAO CO Tajikistan have shown that more than 2,000 head of livestock, 77 horses and 864 bee-families perished in the district during the winter months,” Rahmonov said, adding that the district’s livestock sector and bee-farming alone suffered an estimated 3 million somonis in damage from the cold weather.   

He added that that by Khatlon governor’s order 80 tons of fodders had been provided to Panj that had allowed saving a part of the district’s livestock.  “We have stocked up fodders for winter but nobody has expected that winter will be so severe.”   

 In the meantime, the Panj prosecutor Tolibjon Azimov considers that loss of cattle had resulted from fodder shortages.  “The prosecutor’s office is currently inspecting the Panj Farm, where the largest loss of cattle has been reported,” the prosecutor said.