Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10ASHGABAT181
2010-02-08 12:24:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: LOW COTTON YIELDS LIKELY TO
how-toVZCZCXRO8922 RR RUEHIK DE RUEHAH #0181 0391224 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 081224Z FEB 10 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4207 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 6229 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3907 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3766 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4473 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1473 RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 4382 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000181
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; ANKARA FOR AGRICULTURAL COUNSELOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR SOCI PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: LOW COTTON YIELDS LIKELY TO
CONTINUE IN 2010
REF: ASHGABAT 28
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000181
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; ANKARA FOR AGRICULTURAL COUNSELOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR SOCI PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: LOW COTTON YIELDS LIKELY TO
CONTINUE IN 2010
REF: ASHGABAT 28
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Public
Internet.
2. (SBU) Turkmen government media was silent about the
poor results of the 2009 cotton harvest until
President Berdimuhamedov dismissed several district
governors and reprimanded the governors of Dashoguz
and Lebap provinces during a January 15 Cabinet of
Ministers meeting. He announced that the dismissals
and reprimands were for failure to ensure the
fulfillment of the government's cotton orders for the
districts and provinces. According to Embassy
economic assistant's contact from Dashoguz Province,
the province harvested 123,200 tons, which was 56
percent of its quota.
3. (SBU) A cotton grower in Lebap Province told POLOFF
that because of excessive rain in the spring, farmers
had to replant cotton twice, which pushed back the
entire cotton season. Both contacts reported that
poor quality seed and delays in the supplies of
fertilizer and water, among other inputs, caused poor
germination and vegetation, which resulted in a poor
harvest. (NOTE: The government has a monopoly on seed
sales. It gives cotton seeds to farmers. In return,
farmers sell their cotton harvest to the state at a
fixed price. END NOTE.) The Lebap grower stated that
the cotton yield in 2009 was the lowest since the
1940s, about 1.7 tons per hectare versus an average
yield of two tons. According to an informal estimate,
the amount of cotton harvested by Lebap farmers was
180,000 tons, 60 percent of the province's quota.
4. (SBU) Based on the publicly reported official
statistics for the cotton harvest in the three
successful provinces of Ahal, Mary, and Balkan
(reftel),and the unofficial harvest estimates for
Dashoguz and Lebap provinces, the overall harvest was
823,533 tons of raw cotton. As in the previous years
of Berdimuhamedov's presidency, the government did not
provide any final statistics on the harvest.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The Turkmen Government has
announced cotton goals for 2010 at the same level as
the 2009 goals. To improve yields, the government
would need to carry out a series of measures,
including delivery of better quality seed and timely
supply of inputs, as well as developing better
techniques for growing cotton, and offering incentives
to farmers to increase productivity. Without any of
these changes, the harvest in 2010 will probably be no
more successful than it was in 2009. END COMMENT.
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; ANKARA FOR AGRICULTURAL COUNSELOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR SOCI PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: LOW COTTON YIELDS LIKELY TO
CONTINUE IN 2010
REF: ASHGABAT 28
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Public
Internet.
2. (SBU) Turkmen government media was silent about the
poor results of the 2009 cotton harvest until
President Berdimuhamedov dismissed several district
governors and reprimanded the governors of Dashoguz
and Lebap provinces during a January 15 Cabinet of
Ministers meeting. He announced that the dismissals
and reprimands were for failure to ensure the
fulfillment of the government's cotton orders for the
districts and provinces. According to Embassy
economic assistant's contact from Dashoguz Province,
the province harvested 123,200 tons, which was 56
percent of its quota.
3. (SBU) A cotton grower in Lebap Province told POLOFF
that because of excessive rain in the spring, farmers
had to replant cotton twice, which pushed back the
entire cotton season. Both contacts reported that
poor quality seed and delays in the supplies of
fertilizer and water, among other inputs, caused poor
germination and vegetation, which resulted in a poor
harvest. (NOTE: The government has a monopoly on seed
sales. It gives cotton seeds to farmers. In return,
farmers sell their cotton harvest to the state at a
fixed price. END NOTE.) The Lebap grower stated that
the cotton yield in 2009 was the lowest since the
1940s, about 1.7 tons per hectare versus an average
yield of two tons. According to an informal estimate,
the amount of cotton harvested by Lebap farmers was
180,000 tons, 60 percent of the province's quota.
4. (SBU) Based on the publicly reported official
statistics for the cotton harvest in the three
successful provinces of Ahal, Mary, and Balkan
(reftel),and the unofficial harvest estimates for
Dashoguz and Lebap provinces, the overall harvest was
823,533 tons of raw cotton. As in the previous years
of Berdimuhamedov's presidency, the government did not
provide any final statistics on the harvest.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The Turkmen Government has
announced cotton goals for 2010 at the same level as
the 2009 goals. To improve yields, the government
would need to carry out a series of measures,
including delivery of better quality seed and timely
supply of inputs, as well as developing better
techniques for growing cotton, and offering incentives
to farmers to increase productivity. Without any of
these changes, the harvest in 2010 will probably be no
more successful than it was in 2009. END COMMENT.