DUSHANBE, April 15, 2014, Asia-Plus — A cotton-sowing campaign is progressing in Tajikistan.
“To-date, Tajik farmers have planted cotton on 77,200 hectares, which is 38.7 percent of the target that has been determined at 199,451 hectares,” an official source at the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) told Asia-Plus in an interview.
By April 13, farmers in Khatlon province have planted cotton on 71,100 hectares, cotton growers in Sughd province have planted cotton on 5,800 hectares, and cotton growers in districts subordinate to the center have planted cotton on 328 hectares.
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. Cotton fiber accounts for some 15 percent of Tajikistan’s exports.
