As of September 1, 2008 a total number of poultry in Tajikistan has been 3.423 head, which is 895,000 head more than last year, Muzaffar Mirzoyev, head of the department for livestock, fishery, poultry and bee-keeping within the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), announced at a press conference in Dushanbe on September 26.
According to him, all categories of farms have produced 86.303 million eggs over the first eight months of this year, which is 18.6 million pieces more than in the same period of 2007, reported Asia-Plus.
The MoA official noted that 16 poultry farms with totaling 875,143 poultry currently operate in the country. Five other poultry farms are expected to be established in the country before the end of this year - Malik-M in Vahdat, Khojamsaton in Jomi, Khonaobod in Kulob, Mavzouna in Shahritus and Murghi Marjon in Fayzobod.
He further added that one of the main problems facing the poultry farming in the country is lack of enterprises for producing birdseed mixtures and to promote development of the poultry farming, the government had abolished a 5 % customs duty and a 20 % VAT on this product.