January 30, 2012

European markets purchase more Kyrgyz cotton

European markets increased imports for Kyrgyzstan-grown cotton, according to the head of an agricultural firm.

"Last year, (firms) in Germany and Switzerland have shown great interest in buying organic cotton from Kyrgyzstan," the KyrTAG news agency reported the head of organic services firm Bio Service, Saparbek Alymkulov, as saying.

Overall in 2011, Kyrgyz cotton farmers exported 400 tons of raw cotton and 150 tons of recycled cotton farmer.

Uzbekistan remains the largest exporter of cotton in Central Asia, despite condemnations from foreign governments and international human rights organizations over the use of child labor to harvest the cash crop.

In September 2011, more than 60 top global retail brands from the European Union and the US signed a pledge to shun textiles made from cotton grown in Uzbekistan. Firms signing the petition included Adidas Group, American Apparel and Footwear association, Liz Claiborne Inc., Yves Saint Laurent, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., The Walt Disney Company, and Levi Strauss & Co.

However, firms from Russia, India, China, the United Arab Emirates, and South Korea continue to use Uzbek textiles, Universal Newswires states.