DUSHANBE, October 8, 2014, Asia-Plus – Tajik farming units are taking measures to gather cotton on time.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the country’s cotton growing districts have yielded more than 162,000 tons of raw cotton by October 8, which is more than 40 percent of the preliminary forecast.

An official source at a MoA says that under the preliminary cotton crop forecast Tajik cotton growing districts are expected to yield 399,000 tons of raw cotton this year.

 Cotton growers of the southern Khatlon province have yielded nearly 118,000 tons for raw cotton by October 8.  The Sughd cotton growing districts have yielded more than 43,000 tons of raw cotton by October 8, and the cotton growing districts subordinate to the center have yielded nearly 1,800 tons of raw cotton by October 8.

This year, Tajik farmers have planted cotton on nearly 180,000 hectares.

Last year, Tajik cotton growers produced nearly 399,000 tons of raw cotton from 178,000 hectares.