Tajikistan Decreased by 33.6 Percent Year-on-Year in The First Quarter of 2014

The production of textile and clothing in the Central Asian nation of Tajikistan decreased by 33.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2014, reports avesta news agency quoting data from the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies.

In the first quarter, Tajikistan produced textiles and clothing worth 208.5 million somoni (US$ 41.7 million), showing a decrease of 33.6 percent in industrial production index. This was mainly due to a 33.7 percent decrease production of cotton yarn, 48.2 percent decrease in cotton production, and 9.8 percent decrease in fabric production.

According to the Customs Service of Tajikistan, the country’s textile exports fetched $44.1 million during January-March 2014 period, which was $54.2 million or 55.1 percent less than the amount earned during the same period last year.

Of the total textile export earnings, cotton exports contributed $32.6 million. This figure was $54.7 million lower than the $87.3 million worth of cotton exported by the country during the first three months of 2013.

During the first quarter, Tajikistan’s cotton exports were mainly destined to Turkey, Iran, Russia and Latvia.

In 2013, Tajikistan produced 392,000 tons of cotton, about 3.6 percent lower than the target set for the year, mainly due to a decline in area under cotton, following the Government’s directive to increase areas under fruits, vegetables and fodder crops.

Other reasons for the decline in cotton production were the fall in international cotton prices, shortage of water during the harvest period, and lack of proper access to preferential loans for farming units.

For 2014, the Tajikistan Government has not set any cotton production target.