Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 1
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov during a working meeting has instructed to speed up the sowing of raw cotton, Trend reports with reference to Watan newspaper.
This instruction was addressed to the leadership of Akhal, Balkan, Lebap, Mary and Dashoguz regions and those overseeing these regions in the government.
The head of state drew attention to the fact that “strict adherence to the norms of agricultural technology in agricultural work is a major factor in obtaining a bountiful harvest.”
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.
Moreover, 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, and 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, released under world famous brands such as IKEA, Puma, Wal-Mart, Lidl, Bershka, Pull&Bear, River Island, and Costco.