Cotton in Astrakhan and Volgograd regions
The company «Kamyshinsky Textile» (Volgograd region) plans to start growing cotton in 2018 with its subsequent processing at its own enterprise, reportsSOYUZLEGPROM.The project will be implemented in the Astrakhan and Volgograd regions.
In Russia, almost all cotton is imported, so the development of cotton production is a strategically important project.
«Approximately 500 hectares for cotton will be laid in the Astrakhan region, about the same amount in the Volgograd region.We currently buy all cotton in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. We need 20 thousand tons per year. But now there is a problem with cotton abroad, every year it becomes less and less. Therefore, we need our own raw material base.
Deputy General Director of Kamyshinsky Textile, Andrey Shein.
The Governor of the Astrakhan region, Alexander Zhilkin, confirmed his intentions to implement this joint project and noted that the necessary land resources are available in the region.Next year, it is planned to reach the first 500 hectares. If everything goes well, then in 2019 15 thousand hectares will be allocated for cotton.
Director All-Russian Research Institute of Irrigated Vegetable Growing and Melon Growing(VNIIOOB, Astrakhan),Mikhail Puchkov,believes that the climatic conditions for cotton cultivation in the region are favorable. At the same time, cotton varieties from Central Asia, as well as those bred by Volgograd and Astrakhan scientists, will be planted within the framework of the project. After harvesting, the customer will decide on more promising varieties for his company.
