Agriculture in Uzbekistan
Encyclopedia
Agriculture in Uzbekistan employs 28% of the country's labor force and contributes 24% of its GDP (2006 data). Crop agriculture requires irrigation and occurs mainly in river valleys and oases. Cultivable land is 4.4 million hectares, or about 10% of Uzbekistan's total area, and it has to be shared between crops and cattle. Desert pastures cover fully 50% of the country, but they support only sheep.
is Uzbekistan's main cash crop, accounting for 17% of its exports in 2006. With annual cotton production of about 1 million ton of fiber (4%-5% of world production) and exports of 700,000-800,000 tons (10% of world exports), Uzbekistan is the 6th largest producer and the 2nd largest exporter of cotton in the world. However, because of the risks associated with a one-crop economy as well as from considerations of food security for the population, Uzbekistan has been moving to diversify its production into cereals, while reducing cotton production. Thus, the area sown to cotton was reduced from 1.8 million hectare
s in 1990 to 1.4 million hectares in 2006, while the area under cereals increased from 1.0 million to 1.6 million hectares (in part at the expense of areas allocated to feed crops). Another cause behind moves to diversify may be environmental, because the large quantities of irrigation
and fertilization needed to produce cotton have contributed to the drying up of the Aral Sea
and to the severe pollution of the soil in the surrounding areas.
The main cereals are wheat
, barley
, corn
, and also rice
, which is grown in intensively irrigated oases. Minor crops include sesame
, onions, flax
, and tobacco
. Fresh fruits are mainly consumed domestically, while dried fruits are also exported. Uzbek melon
s, known for their long life and unique taste, are widely sought after in the large cities of the CIS
.
Pelts of the karakul sheep bred in Bukhara
and its environs are a traditional export commodity, but their contribution to total exports today is negligible. The production of karakul pelts dropped from 1.4 million pieces in 1990 to less than 700,000 pieces in 2004. Cattle, sheep, and chickens are raised for meat. There are 3 million cows in Uzbekistan, and they produce 5 million liters of milk per year. The achieved yields of around 1,600 kg of milk per cow per year are among the lowest in the CIS (compared to 2,500 kg per cow per year for Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova) and dismally low compared to those in the EU countries or North America. The low milk yields are attributable to insufficient feed and reluctance of peasants to use artificial insemination for breed improvement.
Although silkworms and mulberry trees have existed in Uzbekistan since the 4th century and the country is known for its colorfully patterned silk
s, the silk industry continues to be statistically insignificant.
Up to 1991, agriculture in Uzbekistan
(then Uzbek SSR
), as in all other Soviet republics, was organized in a dual system, in which large-scale collective and state farms coexisted in a symbiotic relationship with quasi-private individual farming on subsidiary household plot
s. The process of transition to a market economy that began in independent Uzbekistan after 1992 led to the creation of three types of farms: the traditional household plots were renamed dehkan (or dehqon) farms ; the large-scale collective and former state farms were reclassified as shirkats (agricultural production cooperatives) or other corporate forms (joint-stock societies, limited liability companies, partnerships); and a new category of midsized peasant farms or “farmers” was introduced between the small dehkan farms and the large-scale shirkats. As of 2006, "farmers" cultivate 75% of sown area, while dehkan farms cultivate 12.5% and various corporate farms control the remaining 12.5%. The situation is totally different with regard to livestock: 95% of cows is in dehkan farms, 4% in peasant farms, and just 1% in corporate farms. Dehkan farms produce 62% of gross agricultural output, followed by 32% in peasant farms, and a mere 6% in corporate farms.
Agricultural production
CottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
is Uzbekistan's main cash crop, accounting for 17% of its exports in 2006. With annual cotton production of about 1 million ton of fiber (4%-5% of world production) and exports of 700,000-800,000 tons (10% of world exports), Uzbekistan is the 6th largest producer and the 2nd largest exporter of cotton in the world. However, because of the risks associated with a one-crop economy as well as from considerations of food security for the population, Uzbekistan has been moving to diversify its production into cereals, while reducing cotton production. Thus, the area sown to cotton was reduced from 1.8 million hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s in 1990 to 1.4 million hectares in 2006, while the area under cereals increased from 1.0 million to 1.6 million hectares (in part at the expense of areas allocated to feed crops). Another cause behind moves to diversify may be environmental, because the large quantities of irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
and fertilization needed to produce cotton have contributed to the drying up of the Aral Sea
Aral Sea
The Aral Sea was a lake that lay between Kazakhstan in the north and Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, in the south...
and to the severe pollution of the soil in the surrounding areas.
The main cereals are wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, and also rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, which is grown in intensively irrigated oases. Minor crops include sesame
Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
, onions, flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
, and tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
. Fresh fruits are mainly consumed domestically, while dried fruits are also exported. Uzbek melon
Melon
thumb|200px|Various types of melonsThis list of melons includes members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae with edible, fleshy fruit e.g. gourds or cucurbits. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit...
s, known for their long life and unique taste, are widely sought after in the large cities of the CIS
CIS
CIS usually refers to the Commonwealth of Independent States, a modern political entity consisting of eleven former Soviet Union republics.The acronym CIS may also refer to:-Organizations:...
.
Pelts of the karakul sheep bred in Bukhara
Bukhara
Bukhara , from the Soghdian βuxārak , is the capital of the Bukhara Province of Uzbekistan. The nation's fifth-largest city, it has a population of 263,400 . The region around Bukhara has been inhabited for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time...
and its environs are a traditional export commodity, but their contribution to total exports today is negligible. The production of karakul pelts dropped from 1.4 million pieces in 1990 to less than 700,000 pieces in 2004. Cattle, sheep, and chickens are raised for meat. There are 3 million cows in Uzbekistan, and they produce 5 million liters of milk per year. The achieved yields of around 1,600 kg of milk per cow per year are among the lowest in the CIS (compared to 2,500 kg per cow per year for Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova) and dismally low compared to those in the EU countries or North America. The low milk yields are attributable to insufficient feed and reluctance of peasants to use artificial insemination for breed improvement.
Although silkworms and mulberry trees have existed in Uzbekistan since the 4th century and the country is known for its colorfully patterned silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
s, the silk industry continues to be statistically insignificant.
Changing farm structure
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
(then Uzbek SSR
Uzbek SSR
The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Uzbek SSR for short, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union since its creation in 1924...
), as in all other Soviet republics, was organized in a dual system, in which large-scale collective and state farms coexisted in a symbiotic relationship with quasi-private individual farming on subsidiary household plot
Household plot
Household plot is a legally defined farm type in all former socialist countries in CIS and CEE. This is a small plot of land attached to a rural residence. The household plot is primarily cultivated for subsistence and its traditional purpose since the Soviet times has been to provide the family...
s. The process of transition to a market economy that began in independent Uzbekistan after 1992 led to the creation of three types of farms: the traditional household plots were renamed dehkan (or dehqon) farms ; the large-scale collective and former state farms were reclassified as shirkats (agricultural production cooperatives) or other corporate forms (joint-stock societies, limited liability companies, partnerships); and a new category of midsized peasant farms or “farmers” was introduced between the small dehkan farms and the large-scale shirkats. As of 2006, "farmers" cultivate 75% of sown area, while dehkan farms cultivate 12.5% and various corporate farms control the remaining 12.5%. The situation is totally different with regard to livestock: 95% of cows is in dehkan farms, 4% in peasant farms, and just 1% in corporate farms. Dehkan farms produce 62% of gross agricultural output, followed by 32% in peasant farms, and a mere 6% in corporate farms.
See also
- Agriculture in Central AsiaAgriculture in Central AsiaAgriculture in Central Asia provides a brief regional overview of agriculture in the five contiguous states of former Soviet Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan...
- UzbekistanUzbekistanUzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
- AgricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
- Дехкане in Russian Wikipedia