DUSHANBE, October 18, 2013, Asia-Plus – By October 18, Tajik cotton growers have yielded 341,831 ton of raw cotton, which is 18,200 tons fewer than in the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).
“This year, the cotton harvesting campaign has started later than usual. Besides, farmers have planted cotton on 191,300 hectares this year, which is 8,700 hectares fewer than last year,” an official source at a MoA told Asia-Plus in an interview.
The MoA specialists, however, expect farmers to yield cotton this year not less than last year. In 2012, Tajik cotton growers reportedly yielded 417,000 tons of raw cotton.
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. Tajikistan is the world’s fourth largest exporter of cotton, and there is strong demand on international markets for its high quality product.
In September, Tajikistan reportedly exported 6,042.20 tons of cotton fiber for a total amount of 10,000 USD.
