Haydar Usmonov Jamoat

Geographic location

The Rural Jamoat named after Haydar Usmonov is part of Bobojon Ghafurov District, Sughd Region. It lies in the central-western part of the district, on the outskirts of Khujand on the bank of the Syr Darya River. The total area of the jamoat is 503.83 hectares.

Administrative structure

The jamoat administratively comprises the villages of Rumon, Kulangir, Shaykhburhon and Pulchuqur, together with the Abdullo Ziyoev area. There are 6,246 households in the jamoat, served by 10 mahalla committees.

Historical and cultural background

Every settlement has its own history and chronicle. The Rural Jamoat named after Haydar Usmonov was separated from the Unji Rural Jamoat in 1969 by Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Tajikistan dated 2 September 1968. It bears the name of Haydar Usmonov in honour of a participant in the struggle to establish Soviet power in northern Tajikistan.

The village of Kulangir lies in the eastern part of the jamoat. According to legend, the place was once a roost for cranes. The name Kulangir derives from two roots — kulang (“crane”) and gir, the stem of the verb giriftan (“to take, to catch”). As village elders recounted, cranes once nested in the local apricot orchards, and the name arose from the hunting of these birds: townspeople would come here on leisure trips to hunt the handsome game.

The main occupation of villagers is farming. In the cold season they raise seedlings and greens, supplying the markets of Khujand and the town of Ghafurov in abundance. In spring they sell vegetables and fruit.

One tradition holds that the name Rumon comes from the Arabic word rummon, meaning “pomegranate grove”. Another reading derives it from the phrase “Ru mond”. The village itself is divided into 5 mahallas: 1-May, Oktyabr, Lohuti, Madaniyat and Inqilob.

Climate and agriculture

The jamoat has a dry continental climate. Average winter temperatures range from −10 °C to −15 °C; summer temperatures rise from +27 °C to +36 °C.

The Syr Darya supplies water to the jamoat’s major agricultural and other sectors. Fertile soils and the availability of water have shaped the agriculture of the jamoat — cotton, grain, fruit and vegetables.

Population

As of 1 January 2015, the population of the jamoat was 38,695, of whom 19,734 were women. The villages of Rumon and Kulangir are among the most populous in the jamoat and together account for 65% of the population.

Table 1. Population and households of the Rural Jamoat named after H. Usmonov as of 01.01.2015

Table 2. Ethnic composition of the jamoat

Table 3. Projected indicators of the jamoat’s natural population growth, 2016–2020

The jamoat’s population growth rate stood at 2.3%, meaning that by 2020 the population was projected to reach 112.2% of its 2014 level. Over the past three years the jamoat’s population has grown by 790, births by 951 and the number of migrants by 528. The main drivers of rising labour migration are low wages in the district and weak financial incentives for workers. A key priority of the Programme is the creation of new jobs, which is expected to reduce labour migration and raise the standard of living in the jamoat.

Economy

The economy of the jamoat rests on small and medium-sized businesses, paid services and dehkan (peasant) farms, which together employ 75–80% of the working-age population. The main directions of small and medium-sized business and paid services include trading outlets, canteens and chaikhanas, vehicle repair and home handicrafts. The principal areas of agricultural development are cotton growing, horticulture, vegetable growing, grain cultivation and livestock breeding (mainly on dehkan farms).

Economy and infrastructure

The Rural Jamoat of Haydar Usmonov is served by 11 dehkan farms, general secondary schools No. 12, 13, 23, 24, 25 and 26, the “Nur” gymnasium, the “H. Usmonov”, “Kulangir” and “Odil” health centres, the “Shaykhburhon”, “Rumon”, “Labi Havzcha”, “Inqilob” and “Ayni” health houses, and the “Yangiqurghon” facility in the A. Ziyoev area.

War veterans

The jamoat is currently home to 2 veterans of the Great Patriotic War and 40 other veterans.

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

This vision has been drawn up on the basis of an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the jamoat’s development, taking into account the factors that influence it.

Strengths

• Natural conditions favourable for agriculture, industry, manufacturing and other activities
• Existing basic social and economic infrastructure
• Highly qualified specialists
• Existing engineering and utility infrastructure
• Modern experience in setting up new-type, low-cost greenhouses
• Conditions for the operation of industrial enterprises
• Advanced dehkan farms
• Active private sector

Weaknesses

• Worn-out roads
• Shortage of kindergartens
• High unemployment
• Lack of financial resources
• Shortage of sectoral specialists
• Low public awareness of the prevention of socially significant diseases
• Absence of raw-materials processing enterprises
• Lack of permanent jobs
• Lack of modern equipment in health centres

Opportunities

• Reforms in local self-government
• Ongoing reforms in social and economic sectors
• Proximity to the city of Khujand
• State support for agriculture
• Interest of domestic and foreign investors in investing in the jamoat’s economy
• Creation of jobs in mahallas through national crafts and trades
• Implementation of the Rural Development Programme
• The “Trust Fund”

Threats

• Climate change
• Emergencies (mudflows, earthquakes, drought, severe cold)
• Global economic crisis
• Conflict
• Epidemics and pandemics
• The population’s location along the Syr Darya and the risk of flooding