Strawberries promise to be one of the most expensive products on Tajik tables this New Year’s. Already a few days before the holiday, the price for 1 kg of the strawberry variety Albion has grown to 100 somonis ($8.84).
Back in November, this berry could be purchased in Tajikistan’s trade network at a price of 35-38 somonis ($3.09-3.36). This summer and in September, Albion was even cheaper at 25 somonis ($2.21). Now, at 100 somonis ($8.84) per kilogram, not everyone can afford to buy them. Not only are these strawberries very expensive for many residents in Tajikistan, but even at this price, the berry is not available in many retail outlets either. Albion’s offer is small, hence the price so high.
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“Berry production in Tajikistan is not organized on the required scale,” says Muhammadjon Mamadjanov, a berry farmer from Babadzhan in the Gafurov district. “Farmers in Tajikistan grow berries, including strawberries, but only in certain areas and the production of Albion has not yet become widespread. At best, farmers grow this berry on a maximum area of 1 hectare. It is impossible to meet the market needs with such production volumes, especially since the culture of freezing and storing berries in freezers has not yet been developed in Tajikistan.”
Photo: Mukhammadzhon Mamadjanov
Mr. Mamadjanov believes that the soil and climatic conditions of Tajikistan are suitable for growing various berries in much larger areas now. “In 2019, together with our colleagues, we attended a berry conference in Ukraine and visited the (U-Berry) farm in the Zhytomyr region. The company has over 100 hectares of various berries. It is precisely along this path that many of our farms should develop,” Mr. Mamadzhanov is convinced. “Then we will be able not only to saturate the domestic market with various berries but also to supply them to different countries.”
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