Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Feb. 10 / Trend H. Hasanov /
Turkmenistan has launched preparations for the upcoming spring planting of cotton on an area of 550 hectares in Turkmenistan, the Agriculture Ministry reported on Friday.
Furrow cutting plowing, watering, soil fertilizing are being maintained, the report says. Planting will begin in late March. The largest area for cotton planting at 165,000 hectares will be located in Mary velayat (region).
The area for cotton wedge will be 140,000 hectares in Dashoguz region, 120,000 in Akhal and Lebap velayats and 5,000 in Balkan velayat. Given the soil and climatic conditions, valuable fine-fiber varieties of cotton will be sown in two regions of the country - Mary and Akhal regions.
The staff of the Cotton Institute under the Ministry breednew cotton varieties that meet the production needs, develop science-based application rates and crop protection from pests and diseases, the technology of introduction of advanced methods of irrigation, Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reports.
Cotton growing is a strategic sector of the domestic agricultural industry, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said at a governmental meeting.
"Cotton is not only the main raw material for the national textile industry, but also the most valuable export product," the President said, pointing to the need to continue expanding the geography of partnership in this area.
The auction and negotiations were recently held in Ashgabat between exporters and consumers of Turkmen 'white gold'. The event was organized by the state concern Turkmenpagta, (Turkmencotton), the State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange and the Chamber of Commerce of the country.
Turkmenistan has prepared more than 1.05 million tons of raw cotton this year. Traditionally the country exports to China, Russia, Great Britain, South Korea, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Singapore, Ukraine and the Baltic countries.
The contractual obligations were over fulfilled in 2010. About 1.3 million tons of cotton instead of the planned .1.05 million tons were collected.
About 36 ginneries operate in the State Concern Turkmenpagta. Raw cotton is grown in five provinces of the country: Akhal, Mary, Lebap, Dashoguz and Balkan.
Upland cotton bearing a medium type is grown in all the country's regions and long staple cotton such as Pima, in the Akhal and Mary provinces. Cotton is sold through the Turkmen State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange.
Recently the heads and representatives of the international agency Cotton Outlook and the International Cotton Association (UK), the Cotton Association and the Chinese Exchange, the Russian cotton community, the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (Saudi Arabia) attended the international trade fair in Ashgabat.
Moreover, such companies as Сentral Cotton Company Ltd, Wakefield Inspection Services Ltd и Synder Ltd, ICT Cotton Limited, Paul Reinhart AG, Jecot S.A, Rezana Trading S.A. и ECOM Agroindustrial Corp. Ltd, SGS Uzbekistan Ltd, CIFAL Group and many others were presented.