DUSHANBE, March 24, Asia-Plus -- Compared to January-February 2005 an average price of cotton fiber has increased by US$161and amounted to US$1,127 per ton over the first two months of the year, Asia-Plus has learned from Abdusattor Sadulloyev, head of stock-exchange auctions and imports department of Tajikistan’s Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange.   

According to him, the cotton fiber prices hike has resulted from the rising demand for cotton fiber throughout the world.  “A share of cotton fiber in Tajik exports has accounted for 13.3 percent,” said Sadulloyev, “Over the first two months of the year, Tajikistan has exported 24,500 tons of cotton fiber for a total amount of US$27.6 million.” 

Compared to January-February 2005 it is 400 tons or US$3.5 million more, according to him.   

The main training partners to Tajik cotton fiber were: Latvia – 24.6 percent; Iran – 22.5 percent; Kazakhstan – 19.3 percent; Uzbekistan – 18.2 percent, Russia – 8.5 percent; Ukraine – 2.2 percent and turkey – 2 percent.  

In 2005, 293,000 hectares of lands in Tajikistan were sown with cotton and the country’s cotton-growing farms yielded 447,000 tons of raw cotton, while the national annual target had been determined at 610,000 tons.  

This year, areas under cotton in Tajikistan have reduced by 38,000 hectares and the national cotton target for 2006 has been determined at 550,000 tons.