Azerbaijan sees 31.9% rise in cotton output over last year

Azerbaijan recorded a cotton harvest of 293,880 tonnes by December 11, according to the agriculture ministry, which said this is a 31.9 per cent increase over the figures during same period last year, when production was 222,748 tonnes. This is the result of the agrarian reforms, include measures to increase cotton harvesting, carried out in the country.

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Cotton production in the country is most developed in Saatli, Bilasuvar, Barda, Aghjabadi and Sabirabad regions.

The country’s State Program for 2017-2022, approved in early 2017, aims at strengthening measures to develop cotton growing, increase export potential in the field, ensure employment of the rural population and increase cotton production.

The new goal of the government is to boost cotton production to 500,000 tonnes by 2022 from the current 260,000 tonnes, according to a Azeri news portal. There are 23 cotton processing plants, seven yarn factories and three cotton oil enterprises in Azerbaijan.