KULOB, October 21, 2013, Asia-Plus — By October 21, five cotton producing districts in the Kulob region of the southern Khatlon province have yielded 60,710 tons of raw cotton, which is some 92 percent of the region’s cotton target for this year that has been determined at 69,383 tons, according to the Kulob agriculture directorate.
Rajabali Kullabekov, a chief agronomist with the Kulob agriculture directorate, says Danghara tops the cotton producing districts of the Kulob region in cotton harvesting. “To-date, cotton growers in Danghara have reached 97.1 percent of their cotton target for this year,” Kullabekov said.
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 this year, Tajikistan reportedly exported 6,042.20 tons of cotton fiber for a total amount of 10,000 USD.
