Pavlonia growing programme: more than 120,000 saplings are being raised in nurseries

According to Khovar, the state programme for developing pavlonia cultivation in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2024-2028 envisages the establishment of 200 hectares of plantations, as well as supplies of industrial timber, livestock feed and increased honey production. It is also presented as a measure to protect farmland from wind erosion and improve the country’s environmental situation. Turdali Arabov, head of the Forestry Agency’s department for forest creation, restoration and nurseries, said that in January 2026, 2,100 one-year-old pavlonia saplings were planted on the slopes of Lochob in Dushanbe, with terraces built and drip irrigation installed. The report says the saplings have grown well and now measure between 1 and 4 metres in height. The article adds that pavlonia can produce a substantial amount of timber in 7 to 8 years, regrows from the root, and can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, slow warming and support climate adaptation. It also notes that much of Tajikistan’s construction timber is imported, and that expanding such plantations may help save resources and create jobs.