Tajikistan’s cotton growers have yielded more than 312,000 tons of raw cotton this year, which was nearly 40,000 tons more than last year but nearly 10 percent less than it was originally planned, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).

Recall, this year’s target has been determined at 345,000 tons of cotton. 

An official source at a MoA says Tajik cotton-growing districts have yielded more than 312,300 tons of raw cotton by November 21, which was 39,500 tons more than last year but 9.8 percent less than it was originally planned.

This year, more than 162,500 hectares of farmlands in Tajikistan have been allocated to cotton cultivation.   

Cotton growers in the southern Khatlon province this year have planted cotton on more than 155,000 hectares, Sughd province – about 44,200 hectares, and districts subordinate to the center – more than 2,800 hectares.

Last year, Tajik cotton growers yielded little more than 270,000 tons of raw cotton from 160,000 hectares, which was 99,000 tons less than in 2014.