A path to happiness in cotton fields -- China-Tajik agricultural cooperation bears fruit

A woman works at China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan, on Sept. 12, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

DUSHANBE -- In mid-September, cotton harvesters roared across a field in Danghara district of southwestern Tajikistan, picking ripe cotton. The fluffy, white fiber was gathered, compressed, and baled into plump packages neatly stacked in the field.

"This year's cotton crop is doing well. It's a bumper harvest!" said Chinese cotton expert Liu Jiaxian, wiping away sweat in the scorching midday sun.

Liu has been working in Tajikistan for 16 years, carrying with him the hope of helping locals produce more and better cotton with Chinese technology.

"Danghara lies in the Vakhsh River valley, where the large temperature difference between day and night, long sunshine hours, and favorable climate and water conditions are ideal for cotton. It is a well-known cotton-producing region. But due to outdated farmland infrastructure and lagging technology, yields used to remain low," Liu explained.

In 2014, under the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park was established. By leveraging complementary strengths, the park created a full industrial chain demonstration zone covering cotton planting, ginning, spinning, weaving, dyeing, and garment production. This transformed cotton from a single raw material export into high-value-added products, creating jobs and boosting incomes for locals at once.

"In the past, cotton yields here were about 100 kg per mu (0.067 hectares). In recent years, by upgrading soil and irrigation systems with Chinese technology and sharing seed and planting techniques with locals, yields now reach over 400 kg per mu," Liu said proudly. "Now, whenever Tajik farmers talk about Chinese technology, they give us a thumbs-up."

Over more than a decade of deepening China-Tajikistan cooperation, the industrial park has grown from its first phase to its fourth. The Belt and Road partnership has filled people's pockets and sweetened their lives.

Kayumov, a 24-year-old from Danghara, works as a translator at the park. Having studied Chinese for six years and spent time in China, he joined the park right after graduation and has been on the job for just three months. He is optimistic about his future.

"I'm proud that my small hometown has welcomed a big industry. In these cotton fields, we've found a path to happiness," Kayumov said. "Villagers earn decent salaries and receive professional training. Young people no longer have to leave home to work, and locals take pride in being part of the park."

Inside the park's production workshops, there are bright, clean facilities equipped with Chinese-made textile machines. Local workers, many of them women, were focused on dyeing, sewing and other tasks.

"Thanks to the factory near my home, I've realized my dream of becoming a professional woman," said seamstress Davlatova, who recalled that in the past, most local women stayed at home caring for children or sold food at markets.

"I truly cherish the opportunity to work here. Everything feels new to me, and I always want to learn more," she said. Now, Davlatova has not only mastered textile and sewing techniques but has also acquired skills in garment design and is now teaching herself Chinese.

Kosimov has been with the park since its inception. More than a decade later, he has risen from a construction worker to become a technical backbone of the factory, forging close friendships with his Chinese colleagues.

"Over these years, I've grown from a manual worker into a skilled technician. At the start I knew nothing, but thanks to the patient guidance of two Chinese masters, I learned sewing and how to operate the equipment," Kosimov said. "I'm grateful to my Chinese teachers for helping us gain skills and realize our value through professional growth." 

A woman works at China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan, on Sept. 12, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

A Chinese workshop manager (L) instructs a Tajik worker at China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan, on Sept. 12, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

A Chinese workshop manager (L) instructs a Tajik worker at China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan, on Sept. 12, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

An aerial drone photo shows a cotton picker operating in a cotton field in Danghara, Tajikistan, Sept. 12, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

Workers work at China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan, on Sept. 12, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

A Tajik worker inspects equipment at China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan, on Sept. 12, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

A woman works at China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan, on Sept. 12, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 12, 2025 shows the China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

A woman works at China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan, on Sept. 12, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

A woman works at China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan, on Sept. 12, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

Workers work at China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan, on Sept. 12, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Renzi]

A woman works at China-Tajikistan Danghara Agricultural and Textile Industrial Park in Danghara, Tajikistan, on Sept. 12, 2025.[Xinhua/Li Renzi]