Tajikistan Can Increase Production of Organic Cotton Fibre

The Central Asian country of Tajikistan can increase production of organic cotton fibre and also find an industry that could process it, says Simon Ferrigno, International Trade Centre (ITC) international consultant on organic cotton, reports asiaplus.tj citing press release from ITC Tajikistan.

Mr. Ferrigno has conducted a feasibility study ‘Organic Cotton Production and Processing in Tajikistan: An Assessment of the Current Situation and Future Potential’ and the key findings of the study are being discussed at a Roundtable in Dushanbe.

The study and assessment are part of the new ITC project on ‘Strengthening export competitiveness of SMEs in the textile and clothing sector and enhancing trade support institutional capacities’ financed by the Government of Switzerland within its Trade Cooperation Program (TCP) in Tajikistan.

The study says organic textiles industry is a growing business with global market value of US$ 8.9 billion, where Tajikistan contributes a very small percentage of the current supply of organic cotton and none of demand. 

The current volume of organic cotton in Tajikistan is not significant for the global organic cotton market, but from the quality point of view Tajikistan cotton is rated as higher than global averages, and Tajik cotton is in demand by European spinners in the conventional market, says Mr. Ferrigno.

The research concludes that Tajikistan can both increase production of organic cotton fibre, and find an industry that could process it.

In Tajikistan, cotton contributes about 60 percent to the country’s total agricultural output. It is grown on 45 percent of irrigated arable land and acts as a source of livelihood for about 75 percent of the rural population.

In 2013, Tajikistan is estimated to have produced 392,000 tons of cotton, about 3.6 percent lower than the target set for the year.