The harvest campaign started in Turkmenistan. Wheat will be gathered on the 887,000-hectare area. The 2008 state procurement plan is 1.6 million tons. The harvest campaign was started in the Ahal, the Balkan, the Mary and the Lebap Velayat. Dashoguz grain growers will start harvest on June 5. The harvest campaign will last 30-35 days.

During the sowing campaign the winter crops area was expanded as many as dozens of thousands of hectares after the new administrative regions had been established in the virgin lands. Farmers in the Ruhubelent, the Dovletli and the Altyn Sakhra Etrap are going to carry on the harvest campaign for the first time this year.

Over 1,800 Case and John Deer grain combines (of them 500 are new) will be engaged in the harvest campaign. 6,500 special machines will deliver grain to 145 receiving points. The Turkmengallaonumleri Association will settle accounts with tenant farmers via the branches of the Dayhanbank. The Turkmengallaonumleri departments sold seeds, equipment, fuel and lubricants, fertilizers and herbicides to farmers purchased at a 50% discount.

A new stage of the agricultural reforms is marked with the profound concern for grain transportation, storage and processing. Currently, 15 flour milling plants and 23 grain elevators operate in Turkmenistan. But the substantial part of next year’s harvest will be stored and processed at the enterprises to be put into operation in 2009.

The harvest campaign is an important step towards achieving grain self-sufficiency for the country. There are no doubts about that Turkmen grain growers will cope with the task.