Since one of the poorest former-Soviet republics gained independence, President-for-Life Saparmurat Niyazov, who ruled the country for 21 years and died of heart failure in late December 2006, traveled over the country blessing the cotton by throwing a handful of seeds into the soil.
New President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, inaugurated earlier this year, broke with the long tradition saying that he was too busy after assuming presidential responsibilities, but added that the sowing could be blessed by the Council of elders, the most respected people in the Central Asian country.
Cotton production is one of the main revenue sources for the country's budget as half of Turkmenistan's irrigated lands produces cotton, making it the world's 10th largest producer.
