A new era is beginning in Uzbekistan's agriculture. As President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized, large-scale reforms are planned to fundamentally modernize the cotton industry, establish an advanced scientific and theoretical approach, and provide support to farmers. These changes aim not only to increase productivity but also to adapt the entire sector to compete globally.
First and foremost, significant attention is being given to developing new local cotton varieties. Scientific centers plan to create new, highly efficient varieties by crossbreeding 56 local strains with leading foreign ones. To achieve this, state-of-the-art phytotron facilities and specialized greenhouses will be established at the Genomics and Cotton Research Institutes. Such infrastructure will significantly accelerate the selection process, enabling the development of export-oriented varieties tailored to local conditions.
Additionally, to reduce cotton production costs, farmers will continue to have access to fertilizers and fuel-lubricant products through exchange platforms at 10–15 percent reduced prices next year. This measure will ease financial burdens on farmers and make production more stable and economically efficient.
Under the new system, a special rating mechanism will be introduced for farms operating in the cotton and grain sectors. Farms that have been operating stably for at least 10 years without any debts on credit, taxes, or leasing will be eligible to reach higher positions in the rating. This system aims to ensure transparency and foster healthy competition among farmers.
Farmers ranked at the top of this system will also receive additional benefits: interest rates on loans allocated from the Agriculture Fund will be reduced to 8 percent for cotton production and 10 percent for grain cultivation. This will serve as an incentive for well-performing farms, making the sector more stable and efficient.
The new reforms are critical steps aimed at valuing farmers' labor, strengthening scientific approaches, producing competitive goods, and enhancing export potential. This new stage being initiated in the country's agricultural sector is expected to yield significant results in the coming years.
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