OREANDA-NEWS. March 26, 2012. Cotton growers in Ahal, Balkan, Lebap and Mary Velayats started the cotton sowing campaign. It is planned to pick up over 1,109,000 tons of ‘white gold’ on 550,000 hectares to be sown with cotton this year.

Cotton growers will pay particular attention to the soil and climatic conditions of each region. Thus, Yoloten-7 middle stapled cotton variety is to be sown in Ahal, Lebap and Mary Velayats, 133 cotton variety – in all velayats except of Dashoguz, where 149F, C-4727, Dashoguz-120, Dashoguz-114 and Serdar middle stapled cotton varieties will be sown. Cotton growers in Lebap and Balkan Velayats sow C-2606 middle stapled cotton variety along with the other cotton varieties. Cotton growers in Ahal and Mary Velayats sow 9871-E, Yoloten-14 and Yoloten-32 fine stapled cotton varieties. This year, cotton growers in Ahal and Mary Velayats test new middle stapled cotton varieties - Yoloten-19 and Yoloten-39. Before being sown, seeds are treated with Scarlett chemical agent purchased in the Russian Federation that will protect them from diseases.

According to the Turkmenobahyzmat Association, over 7,000 various tractors, 2,200 seeding machines, over 5,000 cotton cultivators and other agricultural machines and equipment, which will be engaged in the sowing campaign, land reclamation and sowing activities, have been prepared for this year’s agricultural campaign.

The workshops focusing on the critical aspects of the ongoing agricultural reform aimed at boosting development and profitability of the domestic agro-industrial sector and raising agricultural output were conducted in the leading farmers associations on the eve of the sowing campaign. The workshop participants, including the heads and officials of the velayat and etrap khyakimliks, the subdivisions of the Turkmenpagta State Concern and the Turkmenhimiya State Concern, the Turkmenobahyzmat Association, the Turkmenstandartlary State Service, Dayhanbank, the public organisations of the Galkynysh National movement, the elders, agronomists, machine operators and cotton growers paid significant attention to the measures to be taken to grow rich harvests, including adherence to the schedule of the sowing campaign and agro-technical requirements, increase in the level of crop yield, reclamation work, efficient use of water resources and mineral fertilizers to protect the areas under crops from pests and weeds.