BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 8. Tajikistan has commissioned a new trout farm with an annual capacity to raise 5,000 fish in its Sughd region.
This was reflected in a press release published by the press office of the Tajik president following his working visit to the country’s Shahristan district.
"Emomali Rahmon inaugurated the fish farming facility of Tekhnologiyai Sokhtmon LLC," the presidential press service said.
According to the press release, the facility is located in the village of Chilhudza and is designed to breed up to 5,000 trout.
The press release also outlined, that the project has created more than 10 jobs for local residents.
Meanwhile, agriculture remains a cornerstone of Tajikistan's economy, accounting for about 23% of GDP, 25% of exports and more than 60% of total employment in 2024. Potato is one of the country's key food crops, with production exceeding 1.26 million tons last year, up 10.4% year-on-year.
Expanding irrigation infrastructure has become a government priority as most of Tajikistan's crop production depends on irrigated land. More than 90% of agricultural output comes from irrigated farmland, but aging canals, pumping stations and drainage systems continue to constrain productivity and increase water losses. The government, supported by international partners including the World Bank and the European Union, is implementing large-scale reforms to modernize irrigation networks and improve water management. In 2023, the World Bank and the EU launched the $47.7 million Strengthening Water and Irrigation Management (SWIM) project, which supports the preparation of Tajikistan's national irrigation strategy and the rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure.
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Tajikistan has about 1.6 million hectares of potentially irrigable land, although only around half of that area is currently irrigated due to geographical and infrastructure constraints. Expanding irrigation is viewed by the government as a key tool for increasing agricultural output, strengthening food security and raising exports of fruit, vegetables and other high-value crops.
