Uzbek newspaper 'Pravda Vostoka'
October 26
ore and more farmers are voluntarily moving from the densely-populated northern areas of
Surkhandarya [Uzbek southern Region] to Termez District [on the Uzbek-Afghan border] as well as to the
virgin-land areas of Muzrabot and Sherobod Districts.
On the Istiqlol cooperative farm in Sherobod District, where 350 families from the mountainous Saryassiya and Uzun Districts [on border with Kyrgystan, where groups of Islamic militants made incursions last year] have a lready settled, more than 1,200 hectares is to be allotted for the new arrivals, and on the V. Kadyrov farm 600 hectares is to be allotted. True, the soil there hase been impoverished over the last 20 years, which is why a large amount of machinery is working on levelling and washing out saline soil. Sowing of barley will start very soon.
A farm which has been set up in Qoraqir has been given the name "Yangi Hayot" which means "New Life". To make the farmers' life truly new and comfortable in the new settlement, the farm board, at the suggestion of I. Fayzullayev, has allocated up to 25,000 soms [432.20 som equal to 1 dollar (official rate) or about 58 dollars, 24 dollars according to black market rate] to every virgin land farmer. The board will also help the farmers to build houses and give material assistance including grain from new harvest.