QURGHON TEPPA, May 22, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- By May 22, farmers in the southern Khatlon province have replanted cotton on an area of totaling 13,300 hectares, the chairperson of the crops sector department within the Khatlon agriculture directorate, Ms. Chamangul Abdusalomova, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

“The cotton-sowing campaign was supposed to be completed in the province by May1,” said Abdusalomova, “However, we have failed to complete the cotton-sowing campaign promptly because of heavy rainfalls and resulting floods and mudflows that hit the province in April-May.”

To this date, Khatlon farmers have planted cotton on 109,200 hectares, which is 87.7 percent of the target.  This year, Khatlon farmers are planned to plant cotton on 136,700 hectares, she said.