Uzbekistan new indd

Post-Soviet Agricultural Reforms
Since the collapse of Soviet Union, Uzbekistan has 
undertaken two major reforms in the agricultural 
sector that affected water distribution and water use 
differently: wheat independence and de-collectiviza-
tion.
To ensure national food security, Uzbekistan 
made the decision to decrease cotton produc-
tion and increase the production of wheat due to 
an overlap of their growing seasons. Winter wheat 
consumes less water than cotton as 40% of its wa-
ter consumption is supplied by rainfall. Therefore, 
this shift decreased overall irrigation water require-
ments. However, uninterrupted operation of irriga-
tion and drainage networks during wheat growing 
season and limited time left for cleaning and small 
repairs had a negative impact on the state of irriga-
tion drainage and resulted in higher irrigation water 
consumption rates.
32
De-collectivization in Uzbekistan was initi-
ated gradually. It started with land redistribution 
from collective farms to rural households. Each ru-
ral household received an additional plot of about 
0.13 hectares next to their backyard garden of about 
0.12 hectares to ensure that families could grow 
their own food during the difficult time of econom-
ic transition.
33
 After that, state and collective farms 
were transformed into shirkats. Shirkats represented 
smaller collective farms that did not prove to work 
efficiently. Later on, unprofitable collective farms and 
shirkats were privatized and their land was leased to 
private farmers. The final transformation was the le-
galization of family plots or dehkans.
The main production of farmers remains under 
state control. Procurement prices, application of fer-
tilizers, dates – everything remains determined by 
the state. During the growing season, state officials 
visit farms to determine yield potential and adjust 
planning targets and production quotas.
34
 Farmers 
have to grow cotton on the particular areas designat-
ed for that and sell it to the state at a price below the 
export parity under market conditions.
35
 They have 
to fulfill seasonal quotas determined by the state. 
Satisfactory cotton production provides farmers with 
more profitable production opportunities – crops 
that can be produced and sold in a commercial man-
ner. Farmers producing wheat are allowed to sell 50% 
of their quota in the open market or to keep it for 
home consumption. The land for wheat is also strictly 
controlled and the same rules are applied as for cot-
ton.
Dehkans represent a large number of rural 
households – 95%. They are not part of the cotton 
and wheat quota system. They use their backyards 
and additional plots to produce fruit, vegetables, po-
tatoes, rice, and wheat. Most of it is for personal con-
sumption, although some products are sold or bar-
tered. About 50% of dehkan households are paid by 
the farmers to provide manual labor on their fields. 
29 I. Abdullaev et al., Socio-technical aspect of water management in Uzbekistan: emerging water governance issues at the grassroots level (Water and 
Development Publications, Helsinki University, 2006).
30 I. Abdullaev et al., Water Rights in Central Asia: History, Present and Perspectives (International Water Management Institute, 2004).
31 J. Sehring and A. Diebold, “Ecological legacies: environmental impacts of unsustainable water management,” 2014, http://www.waterunites-ca.org/
themes/9-ecological-legacies-environmental-impacts-of-unsustainable-water-management.html?view=booktext.
32 I. Abdullaev et al. “Agricultural Water Use and Trade in Uzbekistan: Situation and Potential Impacts of Market Liberalization,” Water Resources