Growing the same crops, drought in some places and excessive watering in others – these and other reasons lead to the withdrawal of land from crop rotation.
In recent years, the problem of land falling out of crop rotation has become increasingly acute in the agricultural regions of Tajikistan. Experts talk about water shortages and management errors, and farmers expect negative consequences in the coming years. CABAR.asia looked into the problem .
At a meeting with the leaders of Khatlon region on May 25 this year, President Emomali Rahmon said that almost 900 hectares of irrigated land in the region had fallen out of agricultural use. He expressed concern about the idleness of arable land for various reasons, including the failure of water pumping stations.
In the arid climate of Tajikistan, the main reason for the withdrawal of arable land from crop rotation is the lack or shortage of irrigation water, as well as breakdowns of pumping stations.
According to the State Committee for Land Management and Geodesy of Tajikistan, about 4865.84 hectares of land fell out of agricultural circulation in 2023. This is 11% (581.65 hectares) more than in 2022.
Problems with irrigation of irrigated lands in Tajikistan
Murtazoali Murodov, a farmer from the city of Istaravshan in the Sughd region, says that in the Dashtikona area (between the Istaravshan and Devashtich districts), hundreds of hectares of land are not used due to the lack of irrigation water.
“The water supply in this area is unpredictable. From early June to September, water is supplied irregularly,” complained Murtazoali Muradov.
Since the heat begins in May, it burns all the crops. This is one of the driest areas, and it is also the windiest in the republic.
“In the last two or three years, even dry farming has been impossible. And when the autumn sowing season begins, the irrigation season stops,” says Murtazoali Muradov.
Another reason why land remains uncultivated is the failure of water supply networks and structures. Due to non-functioning pumping stations, 975.96 hectares of land in the country remained uncultivated in 2023.
Water shortage threatens agricultural development in Tajikistan
According to the State Committee for Land Management and Geodesy of Tajikistan, the largest amount of land was lost from agricultural use in the Sughd region. Last year, 2969.61 hectares of land in this region were left out of agricultural use due to the lack of irrigation water.
This problem is most acute in the Zafarabad district and the Novaya Matcha district. These two districts were created in the 1950s to develop agriculture.
In the Zafarabad district, 195.03 hectares of land remained uncultivated due to the failure of water pumping stations, and another 566.91 hectares remained uncultivated due to the lack of water.
Despite the fact that Istaravshan city returned 238 hectares of uncultivated land to operation in 2023, it still ranks third in the region in terms of the amount of land that is out of order. Here, 286 hectares of land are not cultivated due to the failure of water pumping stations and 200 hectares due to errors by economic entities.
Why did fertile lands stop producing crops?
In the Khatlon region, hundreds of hectares of land have also fallen out of crop rotation and become unsuitable for use.
Amriddin Isoyev, a farmer in the Khatlon region, says some of his farmland is already unusable. He fears that if this situation continues for another two or three years, the rest of his land will become unusable for farming.
“Many agricultural lands, especially our fields, have not been cultivated for many years. The soil becomes salty and does not yield crops. In such a situation, it is impossible to sow anything and we will certainly suffer,” he says.
According to the State Committee for Land Management and Geodesy of the Republic of Tatarstan, due to climate change, the situation with irrigation water worsens every year, which is becoming a big problem.
In Khatlon region in 2023, 462.04 hectares ceased to be cultivated due to lack of water for irrigation. This is about 50% of the total amount of land that fell out of agricultural circulation.
Other reasons for the withdrawal of arable land from crop rotation in this region include breakdowns of water pumping stations, floods and mudflows, as well as poor agricultural activities.
Experts also link land degradation processes to climate change, rising temperatures and mistakes by economic entities.
Journalist Saifiddin Karayev, who has been covering problems in the agricultural sector for many years, believes that the main reasons for the degradation of agricultural lands are poor management by farmers, including the use of agricultural technology. There is also a problem of water shortage in a number of areas. According to him, farmers do not plan their work.
“They plant the same crop in the same place year after year. This will definitely not yield a good harvest. If a farmer owns 5 hectares of land, he must let one hectare of land rest every year. The lands are tired, there are no conditions for getting good harvests,” says Karayev.
Ecologist Rakhmonali Turaev adds that one of the reasons for land degradation in some areas is the abundance of groundwater and excessive irrigation, which leads to swamping of land. Crops in conditions of excess water do not yield a good harvest.
“For example, if you planted jida, due to excessive watering, reeds may grow in that place,” says Rakhmonali Turaev.
According to him, this year large farms over-irrigated cotton fields, which led to a decrease in cotton yield.
To prevent groundwater from rising, it is necessary to clean drainage ditches and drains from time to time to remove groundwater.
Rakhmonali Turaev agrees that farmers have not learned to use land effectively.
“For example, for each crop there is a certain standard for the use of mineral fertilizers,” the expert notes.
He also said that farmers use pesticides in hot weather or do not apply them to the soil, which reduces the effectiveness of these products.
“If you look after the land, cultivate it on time and give it what it requires, the land will never degrade,” says Rakhmonali Turaev.
