At a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on November 16th via digital system, the President of Turkmenistan signed a Resolution “On financing the construction of a department for production of combined mineral fertilizers at the Turkmenabat Chemical Plant named after S.A.Niyazov.” At the same time, it was emphasized that over the past decades, the production of combined fertilizers has acquired great importance, and their efficiency is assessed by the presence of at least two active substances and a high concentration of the latter. The practical implementation of the new project will significantly increase the yield of agricultural crops grown in our country, improve the structure of the soil, the leader of the nation said.
This document has been prepared in accordance with the Credit Agreement between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Abu Dhabi Development Fund, signed during the working visit of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to the United Arab Emirates on October 9th this year. According to the draft Resolution, the Fund provides for the allocation of credit resources to finance the construction of the above-mentioned workshop. This decision is planned to be implemented on the basis of an internal Credit Agreement, which will be concluded between the State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs and the State Concern “Türkmenhimiýa”.
The goal of the project is to assist in gaining experience and knowledge about innovative technologies and adaptation measures to optimize agricultural activities through improving the reclamation state of irrigated lands, increasing crop yields and, ultimately, increasing the income of tenants and the living standard of the local community.
The project activities cover livestock farms and farmsteads in several etraps of Dashoguz and Lebap velayats. Within the framework of the Program, a number of activities were carried out using adaptation technologies in the water and agricultural sectors.
Cooperation of Turkmenistan with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is increasing in such areas as sustainable agricultural development, food security and environmental protection. Five regional projects are being implemented today in our country together with this Organization, and, based on international experience in the above areas, advanced technologies, innovative solutions and modern scientific approaches that meet the Sustainable Development Goals are being introduced.
The reforms initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov are aimed at the social and economic recovery of the village, the provision of financial and economic incentives, favorable conditions for agricultural producers, the introduction of innovative technologies and modern management methods contribute to the effective growth of the agro-industrial complex.
The Harvest Festival, celebrated in Turkmenistan on the second Sunday of November, clearly demonstrated the achievements of farmers in all segments of the agro-industrial complex.
The country has successfully completed state orders for the production of key agricultural crops - wheat and cotton. In particular, in the year of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the sacred independence of the Motherland, our farmers, tenants, machine operators harvested over 1.4 million tons of wheat and over 1.25 million tons of “white gold”. All this is of great importance in the context of ensuring food security, which is one of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Along with grain and cotton growing, livestock, poultry, vegetable growing, horticulture, viticulture, melon growing, beekeeping and other types of agricultural activities are dynamically developing in Turkmenistan.
So, farmers of Dashoguz and Lebap velayats grow rich harvests of rice, Mary and Balkan velayats - sugar beets. The number of cattle, sheep, camels and birds is increasing. Turkmen farmers master the production of more and more of new types of products - such as bananas, olives, raspberries, pistachios.
The opening in March of this year with the participation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov of six new greenhouse complexes erected in all velayats of the country by members of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, contributed to a sharp increase in tomato exports to Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
The use of new organizational and legal forms in agricultural production in accordance with international experience and the requirements of the time, national characteristics opens up wide opportunities for the development of small and medium-sized businesses.
Tenants, farmers and farmers' associations, who have received the right to independently resolve issues related to economic activities, entrepreneurs who, having opened their own business, are engaged in the production, procurement and processing of agricultural products, their storage, transportation and sale, are making an ever-increasing contribution to saturation of domestic markets with various food products, and also have the ability to export its surplus.
In Turkmenistan, significant funds are allocated for irrigation and land reclamation, the purchase of special equipment from the world's leading manufacturers for the constant renewal of the technical park of the agro-industrial complex. This year alone, a large batch of agricultural machinery from the American company “John Deere” was purchased for private agricultural producers in the country, who can purchase it with a bank loan.
To maintain the previously purchased equipment in proper working order, a decision was made to purchase spare parts, wheels, lubricants and consumables for arable and row-crop tractors of the John Deere and Claas brands, as well as John Deere combines.
Modernization of the infrastructure and technical re-equipment of the domestic agro-industrial complex contribute to an increase in labor productivity, ensuring the sustainable development of the industry.
An integral part of large-scale plans implemented in the agricultural sector is the rational use of water resources through the introduction of modern water-saving technologies and the latest scientific achievements into production.
An important event in this regard was the commissioning of a new reservoir in the Bereket etrap, designed to supply water from the Karakum River to the fields of the western region of the country. The reservoir with a capacity of 18 million cubic meters is intended to collect water in the lower reaches of the “waterway” in the autumn-winter period, to regulate its supply during irrigation of farmland.
The functioning of a modern water management complex, the throughput of which is 10 cubic meters of water per second, will increase the efficiency of irrigated agriculture as the most important factor in the dynamic development of the agricultural sector, stable high yields of various agricultural crops, and optimal realization of the potential of the domestic agro-industrial complex.
In Turkmenistan, consistent measures are being taken to improve the agricultural practices, the use of scientifically grounded methods of cultivation of agricultural crops, developed taking into account the soil and climatic conditions of each velayat. Along with this, activities in the field of selection have been intensified, along with creation of new zoned varieties of crops with high yields.
Currently, in accordance with agrotechnical standards, rural workers carry out seasonal work for winter wheat, laying down generous harvests for next year, repairing and preparing agricultural machinery and tools for the upcoming agricultural campaigns. High yields of potatoes, vegetables and melons and other agricultural crops make it possible to ensure food abundance in the country, to meet the population's demand for fresh nutritious products.