OREANDA-NEWS. August 24, 2009. Agricultural workers of other regions of Turkmenistan joined Dashoguz grain growers in the sowing campaign. By tradition the elders blessed the start of the agricultural campaign.

In 2010 Turkmen grain growers are to grow 1.6 million tons of ak bugday – in Ahal Velayat - 450,000 tons, in Mary Velayat - 380,000 tons, in Lebap Velayat - 350,000 tons, in Dashoguz Velayat - 300,000 tons and in Balkan Velayat - 120,000 tons.

In Turkmenistan the wheat plantations occupy over 800,000 hectares. Grain growers launched the preparations for sowing winter grain crops after they have completed the 2009 harvest campaign. The domestic varieties such as Sahrayi, Juvan and Yoloten-1 and the varieties delivered from Stavropol Kray (Russian Federation) – Batko and Yubileynaya-100, which are perfectly adapted to the local soil and climatic conditions, are sown in the country.

According to the Turkmenobahyzmat, the agricultural fleet consists of over 10,000 ploughing tractors and tractor-cultivators, 1,800 sowing machines and 500 Belarus-82.2 and 100 Belarus-80X tractors delivered to Turkmenistan under the contract concluded with the Belarusian partners.

On the eve of the sowing campaign the seminars focused on the important aspects of the ongoing agricultural reforms that would ensure dynamic development and high profitability of the agro-industry sector and steady increase in agricultural output were held at the leading farmers associations in Ahal, Balkan, Lebap and Mary. The participants – the officials of the velayat and etrap khyakimliks, the subdivisions of Turkmengallaonumleri Association and Turkmenobahyzmyt Association, Turkmenstandartlary State Service, agricultural workers, machine-operators and grain growers discussed the measures, which should be taken to reap a rich harvest in 2010. The seminar participants expressed sincere gratitude to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the unceasing concern for the needs of agricultural workers and active support for development and improvement of the social and living conditions in rural areas.

An exposition of agricultural machines and products were arranged in the framework of the seminar. The local artists and artistic groups prepared a musical present for grain-growers.