19 Apr 2013 12:29

Cotton planting underway in southern Kazakhstan

SHYMKENT. April 19 (Interfax) - Cotton planting has begun appreciably in the only cotton-growing region in Kazakhstan, the South-Kazakhstan Department of Agriculture reported.

South Kazakhstan plans to plant cotton on 146,400 hectares this year.

In the past year, over 390,000 tonnes of raw cotton were collected from 147,800 hectares.

South Kazakhstan, with a population of 2 million, is the only cotton-growing region in Kazakhstan, with cotton contributing 40% of total agricultural output.