Grain, wheat and fruit production declines in Tajikistan

Tajikistan's agricultural sector saw a mixed performance in the first half of 2026, with notable declines in the production of grain, wheat, melons, and fruits. First Deputy Minister of Agriculture Nourali Asozoda reported that grain production fell by 6.8%, wheat by 13.3%, melons by 4.3%, and fruits by 13.1%. Apricot production specifically dropped by 48,600 tons. Asozoda attributed these decreases primarily to adverse climate conditions, including frost that impacted fruit crops, and delays in the re-registration of some farms, hindering timely statistical reporting. Out of 179,100 active dehqon farms, 2.4% had not completed re-registration or submitted reports as of July 7. Farmers in the Sughd province, particularly in Isfara and Asht, reported significant losses in apricot harvests due to cold weather during the flowering period. Processors estimated only 20-25% of the usual apricot harvest remained, potentially tripling processing volumes. Similar issues affected cherries and peaches, with farmers linking shortages to a warm winter, early flowering, subsequent cold rains, and sharp temperature fluctuations damaging blossoms. These factors led to noticeable price increases for cherries and peaches as supplies dwindled. Despite these specific crop declines, the total value of agricultural output across all farm categories reached 28.8 billion somoni, an increase of 1.9 billion somoni from the previous year. This overall growth was driven by significant increases in potato production (up 6.8%), vegetables (up 5.3%), meat (up 14.4%), milk (up 6.5%), eggs (up 3.3%), and honey (up 6.6%).

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As of July 7, of the 179,100 active dehqon farms, 174,800, or 97.6%, had completed re-registration and submitted statistical reports. The remaining 4,300 farms, or 2.4%, had not completed re-registration or submitted reports.