Qosimov Said 'cotton Is No Longer a Strategic Crop for Tajikistan'

Cotton is no longer a strategic crop for Tajikistan, Minister of Agriculture Qosim Qosimov said at a press conference in Dushanbe, avesta news agency reported.

However, the Minister clarified that it would not mean abandoning cotton crop completely. He said the production of cotton in the country would be continued, but within reasonable limits.

The Minister said that sowing of cotton would be decreased, and gradually cotton production would be reduced to about 200,000 tons.

By reducing land for cotton, the Government intends to increase availability of land for growing other crops, the Minister said.

Cotton production in Tajikistan is fraught with high costs as the country imports fertilizers and agricultural machinery, he explained.

In 2013, cotton was planted on 191,333 hectares of land in Tajikistan, and the harvest totaled 392,800 tons.

Cotton has always been among the leading export items for Tajikistan and cotton and cotton products accounted for 18.6 percent share in the country’s exports in 2012, earning US$ 244.8 million.

Over 40 percent of Tajik cotton is exported to Turkey, followed by Russia with about 23 percent, China with 13 percent and Kazakhstan with 6.5 percent.