DUSHANBE , March 13, Asia-Plus - President Rahmonov is concerned over inadequate preparations for sowing campaign in the republic, presidential press service reported. 

To date, some 81 percent of agricultural lands have been ploughed, according to presidential press service.    

On Saturday March 11, the president had a hook-up conference with heads of regions, cities and districts of Tajikistan to discuss preparations for the sowing campaign.  During the conference Rahmonov noted that indices of ploughing of lands in the Khatlon and Sughd provinces were low and expressed dissatisfaction with the situation with stockpiling of seeds.   

Heads of relevant ministries and organizations also took part at this conference and during the conference it was noted that many farming units in the country have not yet been provided with fuel.  

The hook-up conference mainly focused on development of potatoes growing, citrus-growing and rehabilitation of greenhouses.   

On the issue of import of farm produce, the president noted that Russia, Kazakhstan and other CIS states expressed interest in importing Tajik agricultural output and now it was necessary to create legal foundation for this.   

On results of the conference, the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT), AgroInvestBonk, Tajik Railways, Tajik Transport Association “ABBAT”, and the Tajik State Air Company “Tojikiston” are to take specific measures to invest in the agrarian sector and support private entrepreneurship, provide preferential loans to farmers and lower prices for transportation of agricultural output outside the republic.