KHUJAND, October 22, 2013, Asia-Plus — Farmers in the northern Sughd province have yielded 96,211 tons of raw cotton by October 22, which is 85.47 percent of the province’s cotton target for this year.
According to the Sughd main agriculture directorate, local farmers have planted cotton on 57,420 hectares this year. Last year, Sughd farmers planted cotton on 61,250 hectares.
This year, the Spitamen district was the first in Sughd to fulfill its cotton target. Farmers in Spitamen have yielded 13,298 tons of cotton by October 22, which is 100.36 percent of their target.
Cotton makes an important contribution to both the agricultural sector and the national economy. Cotton accounts for 60 percent of agricultural output, supports 75 percent of the rural population, and uses 45 percent of irrigated arable land. At the national level, it is an important source of both export earnings and tax revenue. Tajikistan is the world’s fourth largest exporter of cotton, and there is strong demand on international markets for its high quality product.
In September this year, Tajikistan reportedly exported 6,042.20 tons of cotton fiber for a total amount of 10,000 USD.
