DUSHANBE, October 23, Asia-Plus - Tajikistan will scarcely be able to fulfill its national cotton target determined at 547,000 tons, Saidmurod Bahriddinov, the head of the industrial crops department within the Ministry of Agriculture, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.   

According to him, the bad weather may affect a progress of the cotton harvesting campaign.  “Over the past three days, there was raining in some districts and therefore cotton farmers in those districts have not gathered cotton at all,” said Bahriddinov, “Besides, very few cotton has remained in the plantations.” 

According to statistics, Tajikistan yesterday yielded 2,715 tons of cotton.  In all Tajikistan has yielded 398,353 tons of cotton by October 23, which is nearly 73 percent of the target, which has been determined at 547,000 tons this year.  

As far as the fine-fiber cotton is concerned, Tajikistan has gathered only 29,823 tons of the fine-fiber cotton to this days, while the target on the fine-fiber cotton has been determined at 126,420 tons, according to Bahriddinov.  

Cotton farmers in Khatlon have yielded 235,172 tons of cotton by October 23, which is 71.5 percent of the target.  Khatlon province has pledged to produce 329,000 tins of raw cotton this year. 

Districts subordinate to the center (RRP) have gathered 45,913 tons of cotton so far, which is 98.3 percent of the target.  Their target is 46,700 tons of cotton.      

Cotton-growing districts in the northern province of Sughd have gathered 117,268 tons of cotton by October 23, which is 68.6 percent of the target determined at 171,300 tons.