Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Oct 20 /Trend D.Azizov/
President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov congratulated cotton farmers and the working people of the country with the completion of the cotton harvest.
"A great labor victory of our farmers, who collected a great harvest of more than 3.35 million tons of cotton, is a great satisfaction for us," Karimov said.
Islam Karimov said this victory is specially significant because it was achieved in extremely difficult conditions, primarily due to the diligent, hard work and dedication of farmers.
Rainfall, snow, and cold weather, which began last fall prolonged until February, which led to difficulties with the salinization of soil, land preparation for planting. In the summer months, when the cotton is entering a phase of vigorous development, the air temperature was above average standards, serious problems have arisen also because of the spread of various pests and plant diseases.
In these conditions, the yield of cotton increased by 1.6 quintals compared to the average five-year figure and amounted to average of 26.5 tons per hectare throughout the country. In a number of areas the average yield amounted to 35-40 quintals, and reached 45-50 tons per hectare in some farms.
The crop was harvested in a timely manner and without loss in a very short period of time - 35 working days, with 90 percent of higher grade cotton.
The harvest will provide processors of the country with high quality raw material and allow to produce more than 25 species of different products and will contribute to the growth of foreign exchange receipts from exports of cotton fiber and products manufactured from it.
Islam Karimov called radical reform of agriculture and ensuring the effective management of it in accordance with modern requirements, the proper organization of work and motivation of farmers as the key factors providing the rich harvest.
Some 800 billion soums, including 210 billion soums this year was allocated from the state budget in the frame of the program Reclamation of land, which started 5 years ago and as a result reclamation of more than 1.2 million hectares of cultivated land was improved, the congratulation said.
Much attention was paid to the selection and planting of new varieties that meet the soil and climatic conditions of each region, the introduction of advanced agricultural technologies and methods of biological control of plant diseases.