DUSHANBE, October 7, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan has yielded 264,442 tons of cotton by October 6, which comprises some 48 percent of this year’s target determined at 552,200 tons, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).  

The source at a MoA said that Khatlon’s Shahritus district currently tops the country’s cotton-growing districts in terms of a progress of the cotton-harvesting campaign.  Farmers in Shahritus have yielded 11,142 tons of cotton by Monday, which is 82.2 percent of the target.  Their target is 13,560 tons of cotton.

Shahritus is followed by the Danghara district, which reached 78.8 percent of its cotton target by October 6, and the Sarband district that have reached 72.2 percent of the target stand the third place.  

Cotton-growing farms in the Khatlon province have yielded some 194,000 tons of cotton by October 6, which is 48.4 percent of the target.  They have pledged to produce 331,900 tons of cotton this year.

The northern Sughd province has gathered more than 52,000 tons of cotton by October 6, which is 30.3 percent of the target.  The target of the cotton growers in Sughd is 172,100 tons.    

Districts subordinate to the center (RRPs) have yielded some 18,500 tons of cotton by October 6, which is 38.1 percent of the target determined at 48,500 tons of cotton.