DUSHANBE/KULOB, March 25, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- A cotton-sowing campaign has been launched in southern Tajikistan.

According to press service of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), cotton-growing farms in some districts of the southern Khatlon province launched the cotton-sowing campaign on March 20.

This year, Tajik farmers are supposed to plant cotton on 200,700 hectares, including 124,400 hectares in the Khatlon province.  Khatlon farmers have planted cotton on 6,219 hectares so far, the press service said.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Hamrokhon Hoitov, a leading specialist with the Kulob agriculture directorate, said that this year, farmers in Khatlon’s Kulob region are expected to plant cotton on totaling 33,810 hectares in five cotton-growing districts of the region.  “They have planted cotton on 600 hectares to this date,” Hoitov said.