An important agricultural cotton sowing campaign has begun in the country. In accordance with the schedule approved at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on March 10th, on March 23rd cotton growers of the Ahal, Balkan, Lebap and Mary velayats started sowing. A little later, on March 30th, farmers of the Dashoguz velayat will join them.
According to a good folk tradition, the beginning of the sowing was blessed by the venerable elders. Having raised a prayer to the Almighty for the well-being and prosperity of the Motherland, the Turkmen people, the head of state, they threw the first cotton seeds into the ground, and then gave way to machine operators.
The cultivation of this valuable crop is an important specialization of the agriculture of Turkmenistan. Last year, the masters of “white gold” overfulfilled their contractual obligations by handing over more than 1 million 250 thousand tons of raw cotton to the Harman of the Motherland. Another achievement of domestic cotton growers is a visible result of the far-sighted successfully implemented agrarian policy, aimed at realizing the potential of the national agro-industrial complex, all-round support for the country's agricultural producers.
The efficiency of this sector is growing due to deep transformations, within the framework of which issues of engineering and technical support of the agro-industrial complex are solved on an innovative basis, equipment of the latest modifications is purchased, which is best suited to the soil and climatic conditions of Turkmenistan.
Significant financial resources are allocated for irrigation and melioration of farmland, development of seed production, science and breeding. The cotton-cleaning industry has been modernized, and modern processing plants have been built in the regions.
Specific measures are being taken to digitalize agriculture, introduce precision farming systems, advanced agricultural technologies, as well as increase the profitability of farmer associations, and improve leasing relations.
This year, the country plans to sow 580,000 hectares of cotton and produce 1,250,000 tons of raw cotton, including 280 thousand tons in Ahal velayat, 10 thousand tons in Balkan velayat, 275 thousand tons in Dashoguz velayat, 320 thousand tons in Lebap velayat, and 365 thousand tons in Mary velayat.
Private producers of agricultural products will also participate in the cultivation of this crop, having received plots from a special agricultural land fund.
By the beginning of sowing, selected cotton seeds were harvested, medium fiber varieties of which are traditionally cultivated in all regions of the Fatherland. Among them, preference is given to such varieties as “Ýolöten-7”, “Ýolöten-39”, “Jeýhun”, “S-2606”, “Daşoguz-120”, “Daşoguz-114”, “Gubadag-3”, “149-F”, characterized by early ripening, increased yield, length and purity of the fiber. Based on the soil and climatic conditions, the sowing of fine-staple cotton varieties, in particular, “Ýolöten-14”, is carried out in Ahal and Mary velayats.
This year's campaign will involve 1,708 tractors of various brands and seeders, 5,517 cotton cultivators and other agricultural equipment to ensure uninterrupted sowing, as well as the implementation of subsequent agrotechnical activities.
In particular, seeders and tractors equipped with a telematic digital electronic system purchased from John Deere, the world leader in agricultural engineering, will be brought to the fields.
Necessary conditions have been created on the ground for round-the-clock service maintenance of equipment, work and good rest for machine operators and other participants in the sowing campaign.
485 biological laboratories operating on the territory of etraps and daikhan associations are preparing for the new agricultural season, which will provide farmers with environmentally friendly and cost-effective bio-products used against cotton pests.
On the eve of the sowing campaign in the SAO named after M. Sopyev of the Ak Bugday etrap of the Ahal velayat, the daikhan associations “Watan” of the Chardzhev etrap of the Lebap velayat, “Täze ýol” of the Bayramali etrap of the Mary velayat and “Goç” of the Serdar etrap of the Balkan velayat, seminars were held dedicated to the urgent tasks of further modernization of the village, designed to ensure the dynamic development and high profitability of the agro-industrial complex, the stable growth of agricultural production.
The focus of attention of the seminar participants, which included the heads and representatives of the velayat and etrap hyakimliks, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, the Main State Service “Turkmenstandartlary”, the State Commercial Bank “Daýhanbank”, public organizations, elders, agronomists, machine operators, tenants - cotton growers, was on issues related to the cultivation of a generous harvest of “white gold” and other crops.
In particular, it was about the organized and timely sowing of cotton, careful observance of the norms of agricultural technology at all stages of its cultivation, increasing crop yields, improving the reclamation state of farmland, rational use of land and water resources, as well as protecting plants from pests and weeds.
In their speeches, the participants expressed their deep gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov for supporting the development of agriculture, active concern for improving the working and living conditions of the country's farmers, assuring that they would make every effort, knowledge and experience for the successful implementation of reforms in the agro-industrial complex.
As part of the celebrations on the occasion of the start of the sowing campaign, exhibitions of agricultural machinery and products of processing enterprises of the agro-industrial complex of Turkmenistan were organized. Musical and folklore-choreographic groups of the velayats prepared creative gifts for cotton growers.
