DUSHNBE, September 27, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan has yielded 250,800 tons of cotton by September 27, which comprises 45.9 percent of the national target, which has been determined at 547,000 tons, according to the State Committee for Statistics.

The Tajik government has lowered the projected national cotton harvest from 550,000 tons to 547,000 tons as some cotton fields in Shahrinav and Hissor districts had been removed to plant gardens. 

Last year, Tajikistan had yielded 163,500 tons of cotton by September 27, which was 26.8 percent of the target determined at 610,000 tons. 

A source in the committee said that cotton farmers daily gather on average 9,000 tons of cotton.   

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, at present only the Zafarobod district in northern Tajikistan uses combine harvesters to yield cotton.  “Since the beginning of the week, three combine harvesters in Zafarobod have yielded 321 tons of cotton,” the source said, noting that in other district cotton farmers gather cotton by hand.   

Cotton-growing farms in Khatlon have gathered 159,600 tons of cotton so far, Sughd province has yielded 57,100 tons of cotton by September 29, and districts subordinate to the center 34,000 tons.  

We will recall that the Khatlon province has pledged to produce 329,000 tons of cotton this year, Sughd 171, 300 tons, and districts subordinate to the center (central Tajikistan) 46,700 tons.