Tajik cotton exports drop significantly in H1

17 Jul '14

2 min read

Both the volume as well as the value of cotton exported by Tajikistan in the first half of this year has fallen significantly by nearly 50 percent, according to the Customs Service of the Republic.

During January-June 2014, Tajikistan exported 34,900 tons of cotton, compared to export of 67,800 tons of cotton during the corresponding period of last year.

In terms of value, cotton exports fetched US$ 60.2 million for Tajikistan in the first six months, compared to earnings of $111.8 million during the same period in 2013.

In the past, cotton was 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.

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.

However, earlier this year, Minister of Agriculture Qosim Qosimov said that cotton is no longer a strategic crop for Tajikistan and its production would be gradually reduced to about 200,000 tons. The Minister said that cotton production in Tajikistan is fraught with high costs as the country imports fertilizers and agricultural machinery, and by reducing land for cotton, the Government intends to increase availability of land for growing other crops.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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