DUSHANBE, November 2, 2009, Asia-Plus — Some 40-45 million somoni (TJS) are needed for implementation of the national cotton sector development program designed for the period till 2014, Saidjamol Saidov, director of the Research Institute “Ziroatkor” within the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of Tajikistan, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
We will recall that the national cotton sector development program for 2010-2014 was considered and endorsed at an October 30 session of the government. Under this program, the cotton productivity in the country will increase to 3 tons per hectare by 2014 due to use of advanced agritechnical technologies, while the area under cotton production will be 200,000 ha.
The expert said that that amount would be allocated by the government and investors. “The program provides for complete processing of the cotton Tajikistan produces into manufactured goods inside the country by 2015,” Saidov said.
Cotton makes an important contribution to both the agricultural sector and the national economy. According to specialists, cotton accounts for some 60 percent of agricultural output, supporting 75 percent of the rural population. 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.
