OREANDA-NEWS. August 27, 2010. The first caravan of trucks and tractors with trailers loaded with ‘white gold’ delivered the first tons of the 2010 cotton harvest to the Serdar ginnery in Balkan Velayat. The festivities were arranged in the administrative centre of Serdar Etrap on this remarkable occasion marking the beginning of the cotton picking campaign in the western region of the country. The elders, local high-ranking officials, the heads of agro-industrial subdivisions, farmers associations and leading tenant farmers, the representatives of the public organisations of the Galkynysh National Movement took part in the festivities.

The festivities participants and guests took part in the meeting, during which they expressed the wishes of great accomplishments to cotton growers, and the ceremony of blessing the first caravan. Best agricultural workers received valuable presents. Local workers of culture and art, dance and folk groups presented a performance adding bright colours to the festivities.

To pick cotton without losses and deliver it to the receiving points in a timely manner is the main task set to Turkmen agricultural workers. It was specified by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov last Friday during the government meeting that considered the priority aspects of the national policy including the development of the agro-industry complex as a leading sector of Turkmen economy.

The cotton picking campaign started in Ahal, Lebap and Mary Velayats on August 20. Geoktepe and Serahs Etraps in Ahal Velayat, Koytendag and Dovletli Etraps in Lebap Velayats, Tahtabazar and Altyn Sahra Etraps in Mary Velayat are the leaders of the campaign.

In these days the cotton picking campaign started in Serdar and Bereket Etraps of Balkan Velayat where cotton fields were sown with C-2606 and 133 middle-fibre varieties that give rich crops under climatic and soil conditions of the region.

The effective measures to develop the cotton growing sector through upgrading the industry and adopting advanced technologies satisfying modern requirements are taken to promote the agricultural reform, the priorities of which were identified by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at the Elders’ Council meeting in Turkmenabat in 2009.

Efficient management of land and water resources, regional specialization of the agro-industrial sector and introduction of market relations and other important issues were reflected in the Turkmen leader’s agricultural policy. Specifying the tasks to agricultural workers, the state provides them with assistance in the form of technology modernization of the production infrastructure of the agro-industrial sector, support of the chemical industry that produces mineral fertilizers and development of the integrated approaches to land reclamation and irrigation issues.

An important role in increasing land fertility and raising the level of crop yield, adopting advanced agricultural techniques and technologies and promoting selective seed growing is assigned to science. The network of research institutes, experimental farms and scientific production centres that serve as the polygons to study the best international practices, conduct scientific research and, first of all, apply innovations in industry are at disposal of Turkmen scientists.

The priority vectors of the reforms include improving economic relations in rural areas and building an optimal mechanism for settlement of accounts with farmers. The measures initiated by the Turkmen leader in the epoch of new Revival to provide material incentives for cotton growers is an important success factor of this year’s cotton picking campaign.

In particular, the procurement prices for middle- and fine-fibre cotton varieties and cotton seeds are consistently raised in accordance with the Resolution of the President of Turkmenistan. The Ak Altyn State Trading Enterprise responsible for purchasing and selling ‘white gold’ produced in the country was established. All these measures that offered new incentives for Turkmen agricultural workers were welcomed with enthusiasm throughout the country.

The 2011-2030 National Social and Economic Development Programme adopted at the Elders’ Council meeting in Dashoguz this May vividly evidences that our country is ready to make a breakthrough and improve its economic and social welfare.

Addressing the Elders’ Council meeting the President of Turkmenistan noted that the short-term task was to update the rural development programmes. In particular, the updates include promotion of the production of ecologically pure agricultural products, further enhancement of the capacity of processing industries, the state support for small and medium enterprises operating in the agricultural sector.

The further measures promoting the agricultural reforms were identified during the working meeting held by the Turkmen leader this August to consider the priorities of the development of the agricultural sector. These include improvement of the farming standards, wide adoption of innovative agricultural technologies and high-yielding varieties of crops, replenishment of the fleet with state-of-the-art equipment.

Underlining the importance of efficient water resources management, the President instructed to expand the land reclamation and salinity control activities, clean drainage channels and strengthen the control over water consumption in sown areas in compliance with establishment agrotechnical norms. The high-ranking officials of the agro-industrial departments were instructed to give special attention to seed growing and manage the work of the State Services for Plant Protection and Quarantine under the Ministry of Agriculture of Turkmenistan in a proper manner.

Last week the President of Turkmenistan conducted a series of the meetings focusing on the development of the cotton growing sector. These included technology modernization and reconstruction of obsolete textile factories and construction of new textile enterprises in the regions producing a sufficient amount of cotton.

Effective, environmentally friendly technologies plus the quality meeting international standards are the advantages boosting the demand for Turkmen textiles on the international market. Cotton yarn, denim, terrycloth, knitted fabric, satin, printed cotton, readymade garment and knitted goods made in Turkmenistan are exported to dozens of countries all around the world. This illustrates that not only the light industry but also the agriculture sector of Turkmen economy are being brought to a qualitatively new level guaranteeing the stable GDP growth.