KHOROG, January 19, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Last year’s gross agricultural product from all categories of farms in Gorno Badakhshan was more than 339 million somoni and increased by 5.2 percent, or 16.7 million somoni, compared to 2009, the GBAO agriculture directorate head Nazri Nazriyev told reporters in Khorog on January 19.

According to him, local farmers produced 16,200 tons of grains, 48,700 tons of potatoes, 18,300 tons of vegetables, 15,300 tons of fruits last year.

“Increase in the volumes of agricultural product has resulted from increase in areas under corps and crops productivity,” Nazriyev noted.  Areas under crops were increased by almost 100 hectares and productivity of crops increased by 0.2 to 0.5 ton per hectare.

In 2010, Gorno Badakhshan produced 8,000 tons of meat, 17,600 tons of milk, 112.2 tons of honey and 5.3 million eggs.

As of January 1, 2011 there were 103,500 head of cattle (1.8 percent increase compared to 2009), 313,100 head of sheep and goats (2.6 percent) and 122,300 head of poultry (3.4 percent) in Gorno Badakhshan, Nazriyev said.