Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Oct. 15

By Demir Azizov – Trend:

UzbekistanΆs Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev says about 98 percent of the cotton, harvested in his country this season belongs to highest and first categories.

Addressing the 11th International Cotton & Textile Fair in Tashkent Oct. 15, Mirziyoyev said that this year, Uzbekistan managed to achieve extremely high results in the cotton harvest.

“Uzbekistan has fulfilled the annual plan for the cotton delivery,” he added.

However, he didnΆt elaborate on the amount of the cotton harvested this year in Uzbekistan.

“The high quality of the harvested cotton was also achieved thanks to the good weather conditions during the harvest period,” he said. “Not always does nature makes us so happy.”

He added that in comparison with last year, Uzbekistan had heavy rains seven times that affected the cottonΆs quality.

Mirziyoyev said that Uzbekistan has been consistently transforming the cotton industry structurally with a deep scientific approach to the selection, adding that new perspective varieties are being grown.

Mirziyoyev said that among other advantages are an advanced certification system in accordance with international standards and a modern cotton sale system in the form of the zonal cotton terminals.

"An effective logistics system and the choice of optimal routes and corridors allow delivering Uzbek cotton fiber to all consumers timely," Mirziyoyev said.

“UzbekistanΆs cotton fiber continues holding the leading positions through using the fully transparent pricing system based on the Cotton Outlook index in terms of intensifying competition on the international market,” he said.

“Uzbek policy in the sphere of cotton growing is characterized by preservation of stable production volumes of cotton and further improve in its quality and technical characteristics,” said the prime minister.

Uzbekistan annually produces about 3.5 million tons of raw cotton and 1.2 million tons of cotton fiber.

Uzbekistan ranks sixth in the world in production of cotton and fifth on the volume of export of this kind of raw material, according to Cotton Outlook.

The current International Cotton Fair in Tashkent is held under the auspices of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) for the 11th time. Since 2005, Uzbekistan has concluded contracts in the amount of about 7 million tons of cotton fiber at the fair.