DUSHANBE, May 17, 2011, Asia-Plus — A cotton sowing campaign is nearing completion in Tajikistan as cotton farmers have reached some 97 of the cotton sowing target to this day, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).
210,000 hectares have been allocated to cotton cultivation this year and farmers have planted cotton on 203,100 hectares by May 17, the source at a MoA said.
According to him, farming units in the northern Sughd province Cotton are the first in the country to complete to cotton sowing target. They have planted cotton on 65,100 hectares, which is 4.2 percent more than it was originally planned. Sughd province was supposed to allocate 62,500 hectares to cotton this year.
Districts subordinate to the center have allocated 17,000 hectares to cotton cultivation this year; by May 17, they have planted cotton on 11,400 hectares (67.6 percent).
Cotton farmers in Khatlon have planted cotton on 126,500 hectares to date, which is 97 percent of their cotton sowing target. In all, 130,500 hectares have been allocated to cotton cultivation in Khatlon.
“Despite rise in diesel fuel prices, the cotton sowing campaign was carried out in the country in time,” the source noted.
The MoA specialists expect Tajik farmers to yield some 400,000 tons of raw cotton this year.
Last year, Tajikistan yielded 310,513 tons of raw cotton from 160,400 hectares, which was 10,500 tons more than it was originally planned and 3.2 percent (13,500 tons) more than in 2009.
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. Tajikistan is reportedly the world’s fourth largest exporter of cotton, and there is strong demand on international markets for its high quality product.
