OREANDA-NEWS. September 26, 2008. The 2008 cotton picking campaign is in full swing. The farmers associations, tenant farmers, cotton-growers and agricultural workers deliver ‘white gold’ to the receiving points of the Al Altyn State Cotton Trading Enterprise throughout the country. Cotton is delivered to 150 receiving points and processed at 35 ginneries round-the-clock in accordance with the Resolution of the President of Turkmenistan on enhancing the control over the quality of cotton and cotton products and improving the procedure of receiving cotton. To store and deliver this year’s harvest to the Trading Enterprise without losses the President of Turkmenistan authorized the Turkmenpagta State Concern to conclude the contract with the leading transport companies for purchasing 100 MAZ trucks, 1,008 cotton trailers and 200 MTZ-82.1 tractors. The agreements on the proper and qualitative delivery of cotton were concluded with the transport enterprises and other establishments engaged in the cotton picking campaign.

According to the Resolution of President of Turkmenistan, the quality of cotton is tested by the laboratories and the accounts are settled timely with tenant farmers. The cotton price is fixed: 5.2 million manat per a ton of middle-stapled cotton and 7.5 million manat per a ton of fine-stapled cotton.

To pay for the goods delivered the Ak Altyn Trading Enterprise issued the loans and fixed the raw cotton price at the rate of 1,000 manat per kg of middle-stapled cotton picked by hand and 1,200 manat per kg of fine-stapled cotton. The payments are made every five days.

The quality of cotton is tested at the receiving points of the Ak Altyn State Cotton Trading Enterprise.

Raw cotton is inspected by the representatives of the Ak Altyn State Cotton Trading Enterprise and cotton-growers. These measures are taken to protect the interests of the state and cotton producers as well, to build the state-cotton producers economic relations to ensure transparency and mutual benefit and eventually create incentives to develop cotton-growing in Turkmenistan.