Correspondents of “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that the wheat-harvesting campaign has kicked off in Lebap velayat. The police are controlling the work of combine harvester operators to make sure land tenants do not steal grain.
Mills have been sealed off in some privately-owned farms.On 5 June, 2020 a commission made up of representatives of etrap khyakimlik’s office, tax authorities and the police visited the village of Khalach etrap to seal off electric household mills.
The mills were also sealed off in agricultural associations named after Jumaguly Makhrem, Chokhbetde and others.The owners were warned that in case they use the mills the fine in the amount of 3500 to 5000 manats will be imposed on them.
The authorities fear that land tenants will be interested in keeping a part of the harvest and make flour for personal use, which might result in the fact that less grain will be supplied to the state.
Land tenants in Chardjou, Khalach, Danev and Darganatyn etraps often have no income. After the harvesting campaign expenditures for seeds, mineral fertilizers, a combine harvester and a truck are deducted. During the plowing and sowing campaign land tenants have to pay for meals for a combine harvester and a truck driver out of their own pockets.
This year a grain agriculturist has requested that land tenants allocate patches of land with a width of 5 meters on the fields to give passage to combine harvesters. This work will be considered as a collective effort of the agricultural association and these expenses will be deducted from the profit of farmers.
In order to justify these expenses, wheat producers pay 50 manats to a combine harvest operator so that he occasionally spill the collected wheat from the bunker (a part of a combine harvester where purified grain is collected) back into the field. It is subsequently collected either for personal use or for sale.
Executives of the farming associations believe that this is the reason for failure to fulfill the wheat harvest plan. This year a decision has been made to combat this phenomenon by involving the police.
I will need to pay some fees to police officers as well, – a land tenant from the agricultural association named after Magtymguly, Darganatyn etrap said.
Let us recall that at the Cabinet session, held on 5 June, 2020 President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov said that he intends to visit all velayats this month to control the grain harvesting campaign.