KHUJAND, May 22, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- To this date, 520 farming units in the Sughd province have received preferential cotton loans for a total amount of 4.9 million somoni.

According to the branch of the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) in Khujand, the credit given by the government has provided through branches of Amonatbonk (Tajikistan’s savings bank) and Agroinvestbonk in the province.

As of May 20, 2.3 million somoni have been provided through Amonatbonk’s branches and 2.6 million somoni have been provided through Agorinvestbonk’s branches, the source said.

The loans have been provided to cotton farmers in Konibodom, Zafarobod, Asht, Spitamen, Gabborasulov and Bobojonghafurov districts.

Besides, three local investors have invested 1.2 million somoni in the Sughd agrarian sector.  Some commercial banks have also provided 1.4 million somoni from their own resources to finance the cotton subsector in northern Tajikistan.

Thus, a total amount of funds invested in the cotton subsector in Sughd so far has been 7.5 million somoni.  “It is much fewer than last year,” the source said.