KHUJAND, June 26, Asia-Plus  -- Cotton growers in the northern Sughd province are experiencing an acute shortage of irrigation water and finance, Bobojon Domulloyev, the head of the Sughd agriculture directorate, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.  

According to him, shortage of irrigation water has affected young cotton growth on an area of 7,876 hectares.  “The worst hit areas are the districts of Zafarobod, where 1,873 hectares of cotton fields have been affects, Mastchoh (2,572 hectares), Spitamen (1,201 hectares), Jabborrasulov (1,400 hectares) and Bobojonghafurov (720 hectares),” Domulloyev said, adding that additional fertilizing is going slow in those districts.  

Because of shortage of finance additional fertilizing has been made only 35,192 hectares by June 26, the Sughd agriculture official said.   “Cotton growers have managed to pay only 43,592 somonis,” said Domulloyev, “If to take into consideration rising fertilize prices, it turns out that cotton growers will consumer only $182 worth of fertilizers per one hectare instead of the planned $820”  

He also noted that banks are funding the cotton sector insufficiently.  

This year, the Sughd cotton growers plan to yield 171,300 tons of raw cotton.  Last year, they managed to yield little more than 124,000 tons of cotton.