In 2021, Tajikistan's Potato Yield Increased by Over 100,000 Tons

During the current growing season, approximately 740,000 tons of potatoes were harvested by farmers in Tajikistan. Experts say that in 2021, there were 100,500 tons more potatoes harvested, compared to the same period in 2020.

Tajikistan Ministry of Agriculture data, cited by East Fruit, shows that potatoes were sown on a total area of 34,180 hectares in 2021. As of November 12, potatoes were harvested from an area of 32,550 hectares.

In the Sughd region, 387,145 thousand tons of potatoes were harvested, and 108,352 tons in the Khatlon region.

Potato growers of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region harvested 18,590 tons of potatoes, and in other regions of the country, the harvest amounted to 225,195 tons.

There are regions in Tajikistan with two potato harvests per year, but they account for only about 10% of the country’s spud production. The main bulk of potato harvest in Tajikistan is supplied by the mountainous regions of the Zeravshan Valley, Istaravshan, Shahristan, Ganchi, Jiragatal. This is the north of the country and potatoes are harvested only once per year in these areas – they are harvested in September and usually planted in April.

Consequently, the maximum supply of potatoes on the market is reached in September-October, and it is stored for the winter-spring period. Because there is a shortage of modern potato storage facilities in the country, the shortage of potatoes makes its way in February-March. By this time, a large part of potato stocks has already been used up or deteriorated, and some are being bought or used by growers as seeding material.