Turkmenistan Continues to Hide Forced Labor in Cotton Fields

Although the season has  yet to officially open, cotton harvesting is already underway in Turkmenistan. As reported by Azatlyk correspondents, workers, including budgetary employees in the Lebap province, are being watched by Ministry of National Security (MNS) officers. These officers, tasked with preventing information about forced labor being leaked, have forbidden the use of cell phones in the fields. Turkmenistan has long been criticized for its use of forced labor on cotton plantations, and authorities continue to hide the reality. The increased control by security agencies coincides with a briefing in Ashgabat on measures discussed in collaboration with the International Labor Organization (ILO), to eradicate child and forced labor. Despite official bans, including an order issued by Labor Minister Muhammetseyit Sylabov in July this year prohibiting the employment of children under 18, child labor continues in some regions, including Kerki and Chardjev etraps, and teachers confirm that high school students, with their parents' consent, participate in cotton picking. At the same time, cotton pickers complain about underpayment. Employers also repeatedly renege on promised rates of pay and in Lebap, citing the poor quality of the cotton harvested, are known to withhold up to 50% of their workers' salaries, leading to inevitable conflict. Despite orders issued by the authorities to increase pickers' wages in accordance with the state's  procurement prices for cotton, the workers' situation shows no sign of improving.  

Rice Production on the Rise in Turkmenistan

According to the publication ' Turkmenistan Golden Age', over 8,000 hectares of rice were planted in the north of Turkmenistan this year. In response to a marked increase in the state's purchase price , farmers in the Toshkhovuz region are actively expanding rice cultivation with the greatest volume being grown on two specialized farms in the Saparmurod Turkmanboshi district. Thanks to the rice cleaning enterprise built several years ago in the territory  and specialized equipment provided by the renowned brand Satake,  high-quality seed material is available to all of the region's rice farms. At the root of this year's harvest are disease-resistant, and excellent-tasting “Nöküs-2” and “Bereket” varieties. Rice cultivation is traditional to northern Turkmenistan. A leader in the field, the Dashoguz province produces over 35,000 tons of different varieties per year. Farmers in the Lebap region planted rice on more than 10,000 hectares in 2023, of which 50,000 tons went to the state, and  farmers in Chorjevo  harvested over 15 thousand tons from 3,800 hectares.