The leadership of Uzbekistan, represented by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has reviewed a specialized presentation detailing measures to prevent pasture degradation, enhance water supply systems, and optimize land utilization across the country. Official reports indicated that out of the nation's 21.25 million hectares of pastureland, only 40 percent is currently being utilized efficiently, highlighting substantial untapped potential for national food security.

Implementation tasks stemming from a recently signed presidential decree on pasture management were officially outlined during the session. Regional governors have been tasked with restoring and increasing the productivity of 620,000 hectares of pasture by the end of the year, alongside an ambitious target of 3.7 million hectares for the following year. Comprehensive programs will be enforced in cooperation with the Livestock and Pasture Development Agency to systematically reduce degraded areas.

Financial mechanisms and infrastructural improvements to secure reliable water supplies for remote pastures were closely examined. In Navoi region, local budgetary funds have been allocated to reconstruct pumping stations and introduce modern irrigation technologies. Revenue generated from pasture lease payments will henceforth remain at the disposal of regional pasture management entities to drill new water wells and repair existing irrigation infrastructure.

Furthermore, the session addressed the formalization of legal rights for livestock breeders who have traditionally utilized these lands, as well as the establishment of communal pastures for residents in remote rural areas. Hundreds of communities are set to receive long-term lease rights free of charge, coupled with tax exemptions. Authorities also authorized the diversified economic use of pasturelands for ecotourism, apiculture, medicinal plant cultivation, and other complementary activities, provided that natural ecosystems are adequately preserved.

Source: www.gazeta.uz