Tajikistan’s Minister of Agriculture Qosim Rahbar at the end of the last week met Mr. Chen Dao Chuan, Director of Closed Joint-Stock Company (CJSC) Chuntai Dangara Sin Sil Textile where the two discussed issues related to bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture, including cultivation and construction of two cotton processing factories in Tajikistan.

The new factories are expected to be constructed in the Dangara and Jilikul districts of the Khatlon province. The design works for the new factories are nearing completion, the ministry said on Monday.

Chen Dao Chuan reportedly expressed gratitude to the Tajik government for allocation of 15,000 hectares of land in the Dangara district for cotton cultivation. He also proposed creating of the so-called Chinese Corner in these two districts, where the Chinese side will introduce the latest agricultural machinery and technology, methods to grow lemons, construction of fish ponds, bee-keeping technology, and agricultural training centers, so that Tajik farmers could get acquainted with activities and achievements of Chinese farmers.

Proposal has been also put up to set up training and dealer centers to display high quality farm produce for sale.

The Agriculture Ministry has supported the Chinese proposals.

Last November it was reported that China’s Henan province will invest $800 million in the agricultural sector of Tajikistan in accordance with the agreement signed in Beijing during a meeting between Tajikistan President Emomali Rakhmon and the Governor of the Henan province, Xie Fuzhan.

Chinese investments will fund construction of facilities to process agricultural produce in Tajikistan, to build a flour plant, a mineral fertilizer plant, a vegetable oil plant, as well as agricultural machinery and fodder plants.

The two sides agreed to work closely in future to develop agriculture sector in the country.