Senate deputy Zakirzhan Kuziyev stressed the need to develop the country’s cotton processing sector, Kazinform reports.
According to the national statistics bureau, last year Kazakhstan harvested 360,000 tons of raw cotton. Thereat, the country processes only 15% of cotton. Cotton fibre is one of the most important links in the textile industry. Kazakhstan sells unprocessed cotton abroad. Last year the country exported some 30,000 tons of cotton fibre mainly to Moldova, Latvia, Türkiye, Uzbekistan and China. Türkiye, Uzbekistan and China are the country’s largest suppliers of textiles and clothing. Probably, their goods are made of Kazakhstani cotton.
He mentioned that Kazakhstan manufactures cotton and cotton fabrics out of 15% of output.
He stressed one ton of cotton fibre costs today 285,000 tenge, while untreated fabric made of this one ton or bed sheets cost 2.9 million tenge which means the surplus value makes over 300%. At the same time, Kazakhstan exports 85% of its raw cotton abroad at a bargain price. As a result, the share of the country’s textile and tailoring industry in the GDP stands at some 0.01%. For example, the industry’s share in the GDP accounts for 9% in Germany and the U.S., 12% in Türkiye and China, and above 16% in India.
Source: Kazinform