Azerbaijan's cotton is certified organic. On October 27, 2010, the price of Azeri cotton reached its highest level in over 140 years, attributed to bad weather in other countries that led to a decrease in cotton harvesting elsewhere. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the production of cotton in Azerbaijan owes much to child labor; and even though "the number of child laborers involved in the production of cotton [...] has considerably declined in the past decade", the 2014 TVPRA List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor issued by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs still classifies cotton as a good produced by child labor in Azerbaijan. The cotton industry is considered as one of the important industries in the country. Currently, the country intends to grow the cotton industry further and number of steps have been taken on this direction. President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on state support of cotton production on September, 2016. The Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan has developed the State Cotton Growing Program 2017-20. According to the program, it is planned to produce cotton on the 120,000-hectare area in 27 districts of the Republic. Scientific research The Scientific Research Institute of Cotton-Growing is located in Ganja. Founded in 1925, it seeks out methods for cotton cultivation that produce high quality raw cotton and fiber. Soil-protection, energy and resources savings, and ecologically efficient technology are other areas of study. There are departments for agrochemistry, agrotechniques, irrigation and plant protection. See also Agriculture in Azerbaijan References Azerbaijan Agriculture in Azerbaijan Agriculture in the Soviet Union