DUSHANBE, October 26, 2009, Asia-Plus — Compared to the same date of last year, Tajikistan has yielded cotton 95,000 tons less, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Rahmonali Amirov, remarked at a news conference in Dushanbe on October 26
Amirov attributes this to a number of factors, including bad weather conditions, because of which farmers launched the cotton-harvesting campaign this year nearly a month later.
“Besides, farmers have planted cotton on an area of 170, 4000 hectares this year, which is 66,000 hectares less than last year,” said the deputy minister, “However, the republic has yielded 247,000 tons of cotton to this day, which comprises 70 percent of this year’s target, which has been determined at 350,000 tons of cotton.”
According to him, the cotton-harvesting campaign is currently moving at a very good pace. “Taking into account this year’s good harvest, we expect farmers to be able to fulfill this year’ cotton target,” Amirov added.
We will recall that last year, Tajik cotton growers planted cotton on 237,000 hectares and produced 353,000 tons of raw cotton.
