Only 10% of the cotton Khatlon province produces is processed into final products locally, Davlatali Said told reporters in Bokhtar, the capital of Khatlon province, on February 11.
“This figure is very low, and we are not satisfied with it. Through several state programs and directives from the president, relevant ministries, committees, and local authorities are tasked with increasing the processing of agricultural crops, including raw cotton, into finished products within the country. This will stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and improve conditions for cotton farmers,” Said explained.
According to Said, Khatlon’s cotton farmers produced 260,000 tons of raw cotton last year, marking an increase of 95,000 tons compared to 2024. The region’s large cotton ginning factories processed 91,100 tons of cotton fiber.
Said also expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of several local seed farms.
“There are many seed farms in Khatlon that should be involved in the development, production, and supply of high-quality seeds to other farms. Unfortunately, the performance of many of these farms is unsatisfactory. In 2025, we paid special attention to the quality of cotton seeds, recommending that farms use certified seeds. This approach yielded good results,” Said noted.
He added that in the previous year, 3-4 farms in Khatlon were provided with high-quality seeds, and as of now, there is a reserve of 7,200 tons of seeds, sufficient for the current planting season.
For 2026, it is planned to plant cotton on 124,500 hectares of land in Khatlon.