Uzbekistan has allegedly produced over 5 million tons of raw cotton during the 2026 agricultural season, driven by the introduction of pest-resistant varieties, dense planting methods, and novel farming techniques. Minister of Agriculture Ibrohim Abdurahmonov announced these figures on November 6 during a press conference at the Content Preparation Center, highlighting a claimed transformation in the country's agricultural output. According to official figures, the average yield across approximately 400,000 hectares reached 70 centners per hectare, with nearly 70,000 hectares producing between 100 and 110 centners per hectare.
Key Takeaways: The total value of the reported 5 million tons of harvested cotton reached 34 trillion soms. Roughly 75 to 80 percent of the total crop was allegedly harvested mechanically, with Syrdarya and Jizzakh regions achieving full mechanization in their harvesting processes.
The agricultural ministry purportedly studied international practices from regions such as China's Xinjiang, Turkey, Brazil, and Argentina to restructure the struggling local sector. Established under a presidential directive in 2022, the Cotton Council allegedly aimed to rescue the industry from severe stagnation. The minister claimed that traditional domestic cotton varieties lacked resilience against the bollworm pest—an insect capable of destroying vast fields overnight—making the adoption of new biotechnological strains a critical turning point for national yields.
Despite these official claims of success, widespread systemic shortcomings and regional disparities persist across the farming sector. Reports indicate that farmers across roughly 250,000 hectares failed to implement the mandated technologies effectively, leaving yields stagnant at previous levels. Abdurahmonov admitted that heavy rainfall, weed proliferation, and improper weeding techniques have severely damaged crops in certain areas, causing plant density to plummet to 48,000–50,000 bushes per hectare. Consequently, the ministry has placed these underperforming plots on a special watchlist, categorizing farmers into green, yellow, and red groups based on their operational output.
Furthermore, joint observations with the Cotton Council revealed that cotton is frequently harvested prematurely before fully maturing on the stalk. Because Uzbekistan lies in the northern tier of global cotton-growing regions, the maturation cycle spans 220 to 270 days, presenting ongoing geographical challenges that authorities intend to address through stricter future regulations.
Source: www.gazeta.uz