DUSHANBE, November 11, 2014, Asia-Plus – Despite unfavorable weather conditions, Tajik farming units are taking measures to gather cotton on time.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the country’s cotton growing districts have yielded nearly 355,000 tons of raw cotton by November 9, which is 87 percent of the preliminary forecast.

An official source at a MoA says that under the preliminary cotton crop forecast Tajik cotton growing districts are expected to yield 408,000 tons of raw cotton this year.

Meanwhile, the real volume of this year’s cotton crop is projected at 366,000 tons, which is 30,000 tons fewer than last year, the source noted.

Cotton growers of the southern Khatlon province have yielded more than 252 tons for raw cotton by November 9.  The Sughd cotton growing districts have yielded 93,500 tons of raw cotton by November 9, and the cotton growing districts subordinate to the center have yielded 9,400 tons of raw cotton by November 3.

Some 30,000 people are currently working in cotton fields and they now yield on average some 2,500 tons of raw cotton per day, the source added.  

This year, Tajik farmers have planted cotton on 178,000 hectares and the cotton-harvesting campaign began this year after August 20.

Last year, Tajik cotton growers produced 395,000 tons of raw cotton from 192,000 hectares.