Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 6
By Huseyn Hasanov– Trend:
A rich cotton crop has been cultivated in Turkmenistan this year, Trend reports via a Turkmen TV channel.
This issue was discussed at a workshop with regional administration.
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that all major agricultural activities have been carried out and a sound cotton crop has been grown, the report said.
Cotton picking in the country traditionally begins in late August or early September.
Cotton growers started sowing in Turkmenistan in late March. This year, 550,000 hectares have been 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. In Turkmenistan, cotton production is planned to be raised to 1.25 million tons next year.
Cotton is 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 denim.