DUSHANBE, July 5, 2011, Asia-Plus — Experts from the Institute of Husbandry at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of Tajikistan expect Tajik farmers to yield some 500,000 tons of raw cotton this year.
The Husbandry Institute director Saidjamol Saidov told Asia-Plus Tuesday afternoon that Monday that according to their estimates, Tajik farmers can yield more than 15,000 tons of fine-fiber cotton this year.
“We expect cotton yields to stand at 2.4-2.5 tons per hectare in Sughd province, 2.5-2.6 tons per hectare in Khatlon province and more than 2.7 tons/ha in Hissar Valley (central Tajikistan),” Saidov said, noting that average cotton yields are expected to stand at 2.6 tons per hectare.
We will recall that Tajik farmers have planted cotton on 203,000 hectares this year.
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.
