Agriculture Day in Tajikistan Date in the current year: October 8, 2024

Tajikistan has historically been a highly agrarian country. Although its economy has been gradually transitioning since the country’s independence in 1992, agriculture still accounts for around 20% of Tajikistan’s gross domestic product and 60% of employment.

At the same time, the geographical position and climate of Tajikistan aren’t particularly suitable for agriculture. Due to the country’s mountainous landscape, only 28% of its territory is agricultural land. Of the total area of agricultural land in Tajikistan, 76% is hay meadows and pastures, 21% is arable land, and 3% is under perennial crops (vineyards and orchards). Because of the arid climate, agriculture in Tajikistan is heavily reliant on irrigation; 70% of all arable land in the country is irrigated.

Up until 1991, Tajikistan, like the rest of the Soviet republics, had large-scale farms (collective-owned kolkhozes and state-owned sovkhozes) coexisting alongside quasi-private individual farms on household plots, which produced most of the fruits and vegetables. After the proclamation of Tajikistan’s independence and the beginning of the country’s transitioning to a market economy, the so-called dekhan farms began to emerge.

Dekhan farms are mid-sized individually or family-owned farms that are registered as legal entities. They occupy an intermediate position between household plots and large agricultural enterprises. Dekhan farms cultivate over 60% of the country’s agricultural land and produce about half of all the grain and cotton in Tajikistan, whereas their share of livestock is insignificant.

The main commercial crops grown in Tajikistan are cotton and wheat (cotton accounts for 16% of the country’s exports; about 90% of cotton fiber produced in Tajikistan is exported). Since the cultivation of cotton requires high temperatures and intensive irrigation, cotton plantations in Tajikistan are located mainly in river valleys. Rice is also grown in river valleys, while wheat and barley are grown higher in the rain-fed areas of Tajikistan’s uplands.

Other crops grown in Tajikistan include potatoes, onions, watermelons, melons, tomatoes, carrots, grapes, apples, cucumbers, cabbages, apricots, pears, plums, cherries, pomegranates, figs, maize, tobacco, and nuts. As for animal husbandry, farm animals raised in Tajikistan include, in decreasing order of importance, chickens, cattle, sheep, goats and horses. The most important livestock products are beef, mutton, poultry, cow and goat milk, cheese, and wool. Household plots account for 90% of the livestock production value.

Agriculture Day in Tajikistan is celebrated annually to highlight the importance of agriculture for the country’s economy, as well as to raise awareness of the industry’s issues that need to be solved.