Turkmenistan prepares to sow raw cotton crop

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 18
By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:

In late March Turkmenistan will conduct a sowing process for the raw cotton harvest of 2014 with the aim of harvesting more than one million tons, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Sowing of cotton in Akhal , Lebap and Mary provinces is scheduled for March 26, while in Dashoguz province on April 2, according to the information.

'President Berdimuhamedov said the cotton farmers have a lot of work sowing cotton', according to the statement.

"The time of sowing is of great importance for achieving a fully-fledged harvest in the future," the president said.

He also pointed to the importance of observing all agronomic rules and regulations.

The sowing areas covered more than 540,000 hectares in Turkmenistan. Taking into account the soil and climatic conditions, valuable fine fibre cotton varieties will be planted in two regions of the country, namely the Mary and Akhal provinces.

There are 36 ginneries under the Turkmenpagta (Turkmencotton) State Concern in the country.

Cotton is not only the main raw material for the national textile industry, but a valuable export product.

The country traditionally supplies raw materials to China, Russia, Great Britain, South Korea, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Singapore, Ukraine and the Baltic countries.

Cotton production (cotton lint) is sold through the Turkmen State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange.

Translated by NH
Edited by SM