QURGHON TEPPA, August 16, 2013, Asia-Plus -- Farmers in the Qubodiyon district, Khatlon province were the first in Tajikistan to launch a cotton-harvesting campaign.

“Cotton growers in Qubodiyon launched the cotton-harvesting campaign a week ago and to-date, they have yielded more than 1,000 kilograms of raw cotton; the cotton-harvesting campaign is progressing in the district,” Qubodiyon chairperson, Sadullo Beknazarov, told Asia-Plus in an interview Friday afternoon.

According to him, cotton pickers now receive 70 dirams for one kilogram of cotton.  “Cotton growers in Qubodiyon have pledge to produce 16,700 tons of raw cotton this year but local experts expect them to yield 20,000 tons of raw cotton this year,” Beknazarov added.  

Cotton makes an important contribution to both the agricultural sector and the national economy. Cotton accounts for 60 percent of agricultural output, supports 75 percent of the rural population, and uses 45 percent of irrigated arable land. At the national level, it is an important source of both export earnings and tax revenue. Tajikistan is the world’s fourth largest exporter of cotton, and there is strong demand on international markets for its high quality product.