DUSHANBE, 29.03.2023 (NIAT Khovar) – The Founder of Peace and National Unity — Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, while in the Bobojon Gafurov district of the Sughd Province visited and got acquainted with the process of building new orchards in the commercial cooperative of the collective farm named after Tursunboy Kushatov, whose farmers have rich experience in the efficient and rational use of land and the cultivation of crops and the production of agricultural products as well as make a significant and worthy contribution to the abundance of the consumer market every year.

The new orchard of this cooperative is 11 hectares, and this year it was built mainly in the place of the old apricot orchard, which had been closed for more than 25 years. Of this figure, 4 hectares are intensive apple and peach orchards, and another 7 hectares are apricot orchards.

Honorable Emomali Rahmon, the Leader of the Nation, planted fruit trees in the newly built intensive orchard in the Tursunboy Kushatov collective farm commercial cooperative, and during a conversation with gardeners and other agricultural workers, he emphasized that when building new gardens, it is important to choose the right place for cultivation of seedlings, the creation of more export-oriented orchards, the use of hills to increase the area of orchards, and to take into account the advice of scientists in the field.

According to farmers, in today’s conditions, only those farms can develop from the economic point of view, which, based on the demands of the world market, use their capabilities effectively and rationally and mainly produce competitive products. Taking into account such demand, the members of this cooperative, which consists of 443 people, are gradually building intensive gardens in place of the old gardens, and in the future, along with providing the domestic market, they will also strengthen the export capacity.

This year, the farmers of Tursunboy Kushatov collective farm commercial cooperative have restored a total of 35 hectares of old orchards, most of which are intensive orchards. A quince orchard was also built in this cooperative.

Intensive orchards are more beneficial than traditional orchards from an economic point of view, and have been practiced in the country for years, and produce a harvest in three to four years.

Honorable Head of State Emomali Rahmon tasked the officials of Tursunboy Kushatov collective farm commercial cooperative to further increase the area of intensive and super-intensive orchards. In this case, the volume of fruit exports will increase, and at the same time, residents will be provided with jobs.

In total, there are 1 thousand 50 hectares of orchards and vineyards in Tursunboy Kushatov collective farm commercial cooperative, and on 1 thousand 119 hectares of land, various agricultural crops such as wheat, barley, potatoes, cotton and fodder are cultivated.

Gardeners and winegrowers have made significant achievements in the Sughd Province within the framework of implementation of state programs.

The increase in the area of new gardens in the region has mainly occurred during the last 5-6 years. In particular, in 2022, in the cities and districts of Sughd Province, according to the perspective, it was planned to build 230 hectares of new orchards and vineyards, but during this period, the construction of orchards and vineyards was carried out almost four times more than planned. That is, last year, 890 hectares of new orchards and vineyards were created in farms and agricultural enterprises of the region. Of the total area of the orchards, 148 hectares are intensive orchards.

Currently, there are 73 thousand hectares of orchards and 13 thousand 467 hectares of vineyards in the region.

Last year, the farmers of the region produced 124 thousand 477 tons of fruits, including 55 thousand 847 tons of apricots and 38 thousand 429 tons of apples, despite the early spring cold, which had a negative effect on the harvest of orchards.

According to information, more than 2,000 hectares of modern orchards and vineyards were built this year in all forms of agriculture in the cities and districts of Sughd Province.

Honorable President of the country, Emomali Rahmon, during a conversation with farmers, expressed that only with honest and selfless work and purposeful use of land, we can achieve the comprehensive implementation of one of the strategic goals of the Government of the country — ensuring food security, and in this way, improve the quality of life of the people, thus also strengthening the country’s export capacity.