AGRICULTURE

DUSHANBE, October 11, Asia-Plus  - Tajik cotton farmers have reached some 61 percent of the national cotton target, having yielded some 331,000 tons of raw cotton by October 11, Asia-Plus has learned at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection (MoAEP).

We will recall that the national target for 2007 has been determined at 550,000 somonis.

The source at a MoAEP said that an average daily rate of cotton-harvesting campaign in the country is 0.9 percent of the target or some 5,000 tons.   

The southern Khatlon province has pledged to produce 330,500 tons of raw cotton this year.  They have gathered some 205,000 tons of cotton by October 11, which is more than 61 percent of the target.

Districts subordinate to the center (RRPs) have yielded some 30,000 tons of raw cotton, which is nearly 59 percent of the target.  Their target is 48,200 tons of cotton. 

Cotton growers of the northern Sughd province have yielded more than 98,000 tons of cotton by October 11, which comprises more than 57 percent of its target determined at 171,300 tons of cotton. 

 Tajikistan last year yielded 440,000 tons of cotton, which was some 80 percent of the national target that had been determined at 547,000 tons of cotton.