Russia is beginning the production of cotton
Russian Federation starts work on a new culture – the production of cotton. This year about 1 thousand hectares of cotton will be planted in Astrakhan and Volgograd regions.
The issues of demand of Russian textile enterprises in the cotton fiber and providing with own resources were discussed at the All-Russian Agronomical Meeting.
As it was noted at the meeting, the countries of Central Asia, from where the “white gold” delivered to Russia traditionally, are actively developing the processing industry. The point is that in a few years the Central Asian countries will supply no one ton of cotton to the foreign market, but ready-made products. Well, there is nothing you can do; the market dictates its own rules. Commodity trade – is the issue of not even yesterday, but the day before yesterday.
As to Russian cotton, experts believe that there are about 200 thousand hectares of areas suitable for cotton production. With the restoration of existing and construction of new irrigation and drainage systems, the maximum area of cotton cultivation in Russia will reach 220 thousand hectares, including 47 thousand hectares in the Astrakhan region and 120 thousand hectares in Stavropol region. The demand of Russian enterprises in the cotton fiber is estimated at about 70 thousand tons. It is not easy, but feasible.
The Russia tried to grow cotton in its southern part before revolution of 1917. The USSR was in great need of a “white gold”, so the state program on development of cotton growing was adopted. Moreover, a profile institute in the Stavropol region was established.
However, the attempts to grow cotton in Russia were abandoned very soon due to the fact, that in Central Asia were both rich harvest of cotton and high quality of cotton fiber. In fact, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan ensured the cotton independence of the USSR. The most valuable, fine-fiber cotton were grown in the Turkmen fields.
In those times, especially “zealous” ecologists declared cotton as disaster for the region. However, the era of independence showed that this is not a problem, but a secret gift.
The 1 107.3 thousand tons of raw cotton was harvested in Turkmenistan in 2017, which is 3.4 percent more than in 2016. The growth rate of cotton fiber production was 16.5 percent, cotton yarn - 3.5 percent. Export deliveries of cotton fiber is decreased by 34 percent, compared to the similar period last year. At the same time export deliveries of fabrics is increased 10 times as much as the similar period last year.
