DUSHANBE February 12, 2009, Asia-Plus – Specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) have worked out new amounts of loans provided to cotton farmers, head of the MoA economic policy and prognosis department Safar Mahmadiyev said in an interview with Asia-Plus.
“Last year, cotton loans were provided at the rate of $800 per one hectare (ha),” said Mahmadiyev, “This year, taking into consideration rising prices of fuels, fertilizers and seeds, we recommend to provide cotton loan at the of $1,100 per 1 ha.”
On the disbursement of loans provided from the national budget last year, he noted that Sughd cotton farmers have repaid 40.2 percent of loans to this date (35 million somoni of state funds were provided to Sughd cotton farmers through banks in 2008), and Khatlon cotton-growing farms have repaid 26 percent of loans so far (they last year received 105 million somoni).
As far as cotton-growing farms in districts subordinate to the center (HIsor Valley) are concerned, banks provided them loans form their own funds, the MoA official said.
We will recall that 140 million somoni were allocated from the national budget last year for crediting of cotton-growing farms in Khatlon and Sughd provinces.
This year, 180 million somoni have been allocated from the national budget for crediting of the cotton sector. Cotton farmers in Khalton will receive 115 million somoni, Sughd cotton-growing farms will receive 45 million somoni and 20 million somoni will be provided to farms in districts subordinate to the center (RRPs).
