World Bank Document

Focus Area 2: Agricultural competitiveness and cotton sub-sector modernization 

 

48. 

Given its land, water and natural endowments, agricultural traditions, and human 

resource base, as well as favorable location to major markets, Uzbekistan’s agriculture has 

considerable potential to improve productivity and growth. For example, cotton yields are only 

35-50 percent of those of other producing countries. There are also significant gains to be made 

from diversifying into higher-value crops and livestock development, as well as post-production 

value-creation through the development of agro-enterprises in processing, distribution and 

marketing. Not least important, agriculture, currently accounting for 27 percent of total 

employment, can contribute to additional job creation. Switching to higher-value added crops and 

livestock development and integrating value-chains would create substantial off-farm employment 

upstream in support services and downstream in agribusiness for post-harvest operations, 

processing, storage, and export―and mainly in rural areas where most of the bottom 40 percent 

of the income distribution live. 

 

49. 

However, agriculture will realize its full potential only if the structural barriers to