DUSHANBE, January 29, 2016, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan’s cotton fiber exports last year rose 25 percent compared to 2014, Firdavs Asmatbekov, an official with the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus in an interview.

“In 2015, Tajikistan exported about 108,000 tons of cotton fiber,” Asmatbekov said, noting Tajikistan last year earned more than 144.5 million U.S. dollars from cotton fiber exports.

In 2015, the major trading partners to Tajikistan’s cotton fiber were Turkey – more than 35 percent; Iran – 23.6 percent; Russia – 19 percent; and Pakistan – 13.6 percent.

Besides, Tajikistan last year exported more than 562 tons of cotton fiber to Uzbekistan, which itself is one of world’s largest cotton exporters.

“Latvia, China, the United Arab Emirates, Moldova, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and Armenia also purchased Tajik cotton fiber last year in small volumes,” the Statistics Agency official noted.

Last year, Tajikistan was reportedly selling cotton fiber to Turkey at an average rate of US$1,356 per ton and to Afghanistan at an average rate of US$1,700 per ton.

Meanwhile, Russia was receiving Tajik cotton fiber last year at an average rate of US$1,256 per ton.