The current area of greenhouses in Turkmenistan is approximately 800 hectares, with 95 percent dedicated to tomato production, according to an article by entrepreneur Dovletgelgeldi Ballyev published in the Biznes Reklama newspaper on Monday. The article also mentions the ongoing construction of new greenhouses, with a total area of about 600-650 hectares.
In Turkmenistan, the cultivation of three main tomato varieties is prominent: bunch tomatoes, pink tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes.Marvelance, Altes, and Provence are the most popular tomato varieties, while Pink Paradise and Fujimario are favoured among pink tomato varieties.
In modern greenhouses, the average tomato yield ranges from 250 to 300 tonnes per hectare.However, the yield can reach 400 to 450 tonnes per hectare in greenhouses equipped with cooling systems.
According to the entrepreneur, Turkmen business people exported 71,000 tonnes of tomatoes in 2021, which increased to 104,000 tonnes in 2022. As of the beginning of 2023, the export volume has reached approximately 103,000 tonnes. Consequently, Turkmenistan has emerged as one of the significant tomato suppliers to Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
The article highlights the potential for selling tomatoes to countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and India during the summer at favourable prices for producers through effective marketing and advertising efforts. It also mentions that Turkmen business people have initiated tomato exports to Dubai in the UAE.
Dovletgeldi Ballyev, the founder of Ter Önüm E.S., highlights that with the anticipated increase in the number of greenhouses in Turkmenistan, there is potential for expanding the production of various vegetables to meet market demand.
Currently, cucumbers are cultivated in small quantities, but with the growth of the greenhouse industry, cucumber production is expected to increase.Additionally, there is potential for producing various types of bell peppers, eggplant, strawberries, bananas, and other vegetable crops.