DUSHANBE, July 18, 2008, Asia-Plus — The dry spring has affected normal growth of cotton in Tajikistan, Deputy Agriculture Minister, Mahmoud Qodirov, remarked at a press conference in Dushanbe on July 18.
According to him, farmers planned to plant cotton on 252,752 hectares this year, but because of unfavorable weather conditions cotton has been planted on only 238,343 hectares.
He noted that normal growth of cotton has been reported on 209,270 hectares or 88 percent of areas under cotton.
“The most serious situation is in the Sughd province, where some 70 percent of farmland is irrigated by means of pups,” said the deputy minister, “Because of late preparation of pumps and a 220 million cubic meters decline in water levels at the Qairoqqum reservoir, irrigation of cotton fields has been delayed in the province.”
“Besides, Tajikistan needs some 250,000 tons of fertilizers for additional fertilizing, while Tojikazot has supplied only 54,658 tons of fertilizers so far,” Qodirov said.
