Greenhouse tomatoes have become one of the main export products of Turkmenistan. Since the beginning of this year, the country has exported more than 90,000 tons of this vegetable, which is a record in history. The same indicator in 2022 was 80,000 tons. The main buyers of Turkmen tomatoes are Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and the UAE, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper writes.
Most of the greenhouse tomatoes are grown on lands transferred from the state land fund to farmers for long-term use for 99 years. Today, about 270 members of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan (UIET) have received 2,187 hectares of land for use, on which more than 916 hectares of greenhouses have already been built. Of this area, 868 hectares are occupied by tomatoes.
188 agribusinesses are already engaged in the production of agricultural products across the country.
We are talking only about the activities of entrepreneurs who have been granted land for agricultural production for 99 years. They use it free of charge on the conditions of cultivation for the state procurement of certain types and volumes of agricultural products and are included in a special list of members of the Union.
In addition to tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers, bananas, citrus fruits and strawberries are also grown in greenhouses. Currently, another 153 greenhouses are under construction.
More than 13,000 hectares are occupied by fruit trees and vineyards, with 10,000 hectares provided with drip irrigation systems. Plums, apples and pears, apricots and peaches, cherries and sweet cherries are grown in these gardens.
The total fruit harvest this year exceeded 70,000 tons. Apple trees are the most widely planted fruit crop, with an average yield of 25 tons per hectare in 2023. Since May, the harvest of apples of various varieties has amounted to more than 16,000 tons.
Animal husbandry is also growing in Turkmenistan. Currently, there are 46 livestock complexes in operation, with 57 more under construction and 16 more planned. These complexes breed large and small cattle, as well as camels.
Poultry farming is another priority area for Turkmen agriculture. There are 74 poultry farms in the country that breed chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and quails for meat and eggs.
There are three quail farms operating in the structure of the UIET on the terms of long-term free use (in general, there are much more quail farms in the country).
The UIET provides assistance to Turkmen entrepreneurs in the implementation of export supplies. In 2020, a special unit was created in the structure of the UIET, which deals with export issues.
This unit is in the process of registration as an independent institution that will purposefully export goods produced exclusively by members of the UIET. ///nCa, 13 October 2023
#Turkmenistan, #agriculture, #private_sector