Robert Metevosyan, head of the Kashatagh Regional Council's Department of Resettlement, has announced that 24 new families have moved to the region in the first half of 2009 and that 32 families were granted resteelement status. Mr. Matevosyan stated that there was a net population increase due to natural causes of 82 during the period in question, which more or less corresponds to the overall net growth. According to 2009 first half figures, renovation projects amounting to143 million drams have been undertaken in Kashatagh and ten new homes for large families have been built. As in other regions of Karabakh, crop yields are low in Kashatagh. Of the 1,700 hectares cultivated for wheat and other grains, the average yiels is 10.7 centners (1 centner = 100 kilos) per hectare. The highest yields have been registered in Kovsakan at 21.6 centers per hectare. Due to poor weather conditions, there were no harvests on some 1,218 hectares of land.