Karomat Nosirova, 42, lives in the southern part of Tajikistan, in Ghazantarak village, Devashtich district. She is a mother of five—four daughters and a son—and is a well-recognized woman farmer in her community. In addition to being a major producer of high-quality grapes and various mixed crops, Karomat is known for her innovative character. She has introduced and adapted new crop varieties to her village and actively encourages other women farmers from self-help groups to adopt modern technologies.

Karomat and her family currently rent 15 hectares of farmland. According to her, the secret to her success lies in mixed farming, which allows her to manage seasonal work efficiently. Her community interest group (CIG) in Ghazantarak includes 12 women, all of whom are actively engaged in farming. Karomat proudly shares that their grape harvests have been abundant, and they have already completed land preparation and sowing of fall wheat. “Now,” she says, “none of the CIG members worry about stocking up food for the winter. From selling our crops and vegetables, we have secured enough for our families’ needs and food security.”

Karomat’s love for farming began at a young age. “I was always attracted to farming life. My parents were farmers, and after school I would run to the fields or to the grazing animals to help out during holidays.” Her journey as a family farmer began in the early 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. She had just married, and times were tough as her husband lost his job at the State farm. One day, her father offered them a 0.40-hectare plot of land to grow wheat. “With this parcel of land, I became the first young female farmer in Ghazantarak village,” she shares.

Once Karomat convinced her husband to cultivate the fallow land, she took charge of applying all the practices she had learned—land preparation, timely sowing, proper fertilization, and irrigation. She was amazed by the results. Wheat thrived in a land where nothing had grown before. It was a turning point. Not only had she revived fallow land, but she had done so using less fertilizer and water, making it sustainable and efficient.

In February 2022, Karomat attended a training organized by the National Association of Dehkan Farmers of Tajikistan (NADF), a member of AFA in Tajikistan. “The specialist explained clearly and simply about improving productivity on degraded arid lands and the development of Paulownia trees,” she says. When the call came for volunteers to pilot paulownia cultivation, many were hesitant as it was an unfamiliar crop. But Karomat, always eager to explore new ideas, was the first to plant paulownia trees on her one-hectare plot of arid land.

Inspired by this success, she began experimenting with new grape and pea varieties suited for dry climates. She now grows and distributes drought-tolerant, climate-resilient seeds and seedlings to other farmers in her community and neighboring villages. Thanks to her leadership, Ghazantarak has seen a rise in seasonal vegetable cultivation, allowing farmers to access better prices in the market.

Karomat strongly believes in the power of collective action. She is convinced that agriculture, vegetable farming, and gardening in the village can flourish through a group-based approach. Recognizing the importance of diversifying crops, she has expanded into growing tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, radishes, cabbage, leafy vegetables, and more grapes. 

Note: This article is originally published in the AFA website. AFA is once of the steering committee members of ComDev Asia.