DUSHANBE, January 24, 2014, Asia-Plus — In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Tajik Minister of Agriculture Qosim Qosimov noted on January 24 that cotton is not a strategic crop for Tajikistan anymore.
“Cotton is a labor-intensive crop though it is profitable crop for the country and separate farming units, but lack of demand, the fall in international cotton prices as well as lack of seasonal preferential loans do not encourage development of the cotton subsector,” the minister said.
“Of course, we do not give up cotton growing, but everything depends on farmers and their choice. I think that in the future we will produce cotton in the volume that our manufacturing industry will be able to purchase,” Qosimov said.
“We are ready to grow fine-fiber cotton for the global defense industry, for production of parachutes, if we receive orders for this type of cotton,” the minister noted.
In 2013, Tajikistan reprotedly produced 392,000 tons of raw cotton, which was 96.4 percent of the national cotton target. Las year, 191,33 hectares were allotted to cotton cultivation, which was 4 percent or 8,133 hectares fewer than in 2012.
The international cotton prices are continuing to fall and current international price for one ton of cotton fiber reprotedly fluctuates from 1,700 USD to 1,800 USD.
