Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 16
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov discussed progress of seasonal agricultural work during a working meeting with the participation of heads of the regional administration, Trend reports with reference to local TV channel Altyn Asyr.
Speaking about the cotton sowing, the Turkmen president pointed out the importance of organizing the maintenance of this valuable crop within the set period, including the quality performance of all agrotechnical measures and the effective use of agricultural equipment.
Cotton growers started sowing in Turkmenistan in late March. This year, 550,000 hectares are allocated for cotton in the country, and it is planned to harvest 1,050,000 tons of raw cotton. For the first time, private agricultural producers who have received plots from a special land fund will begin to cultivate it in 25,567 hectares of land.
In October 2018, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov ordered to stop the sale of cotton fiber to foreign countries. Cotton was previously a significant export item of Turkmenistan, while it is currently a highly demanded raw material for the country’s rapidly developing textile industry. Until recently, up to 70 percent of the cultivated raw materials were processed domestically.
The Turkmen textile industry is represented by a wide range of exports, from cotton fiber and yarn to finished garments and knitwear, produced by the largest complexes in Central Asia, which are located in the capital and in all regions of the country.
A significant part of the products exported from Turkmenistan consist of home textiles, sportswear and jeans.