KHUJAND, February 17, 2011, Asia-Plus — This year, 65,000 hectares will be allocated to cotton cultivation in Sughd province, which is 11,000 hectares more than last year, according to the Sughd agriculture directorate.
Local agricultural authorities justify the decision as based on world cotton price trends. “As a result of surge of cotton prices, local cotton producing farms last year stacked up a reasonable profit and improved their economic indicators,” the source said, noting that the cotton-sowing campaign is expected to be launched in the area in the second half of March, depending on weather conditions.
Usmonboy Jumayev, head of the Sughd seed inspectorate, says they will plant 6,740 tons of cotton seeds this year.
Last year, Sughd farmers yielded more than 92,000 hectares of raw cotton from 54,000 hectares.
