DUSHANBE, April 22, Asia-Plus  -- A new mechanism of financing cotton-growing farms will bring benefits for farmers and promote development of the cotton sector, the Deputy Land Reclamation and Water Resources Minister, Homidjon Hasanov, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.  

According to him, 40 percent of 110 million somonis allocated by the government to banks for providing loans to cotton farmers will go to paying for water.  “However, practically all farming units stated in their business-plans, submitted to banks for getting loans, that they plan to pay for water only in the fourth quarter,” the deputy minister said.  

Hasanov noted that such form of payment is profitable for cotton farmers, but it will negatively impact work of sub-divisions of the Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Resources (MLPWS) in the provinces.  He added that enterprises and organizations now owe 72.5 million somonis to the ministry.  

However, despite financial shortages, state of 1,695 hectares of land in the country has been  improved since the beginning of the year, which is 212 hectares more than in the same period of last year, the deputy minister said.  Specialists have repaired 715 reclamation facilities of the report period.  “Thus, they have rehabilitated a number of pump stations at Garauti and Kulob canals, as well as irrigation systems in Ayni, Asht, Panjakent and Muminobod districts, and construction of the canal Zumanak in the Nourobod district has already been finished,” Hasanov said.  

The ministry currently implements five investment projects for $145 million in the country, according to him.  The projects are aimed at rehabilitation and improvement of lands, maintenance of reclamation facilities and development of new irrigated areas.