Pickers and Clusters: A Complex Array of Issues Confronts Uzbekistan’s Evolving Cotton Industry

Quick Summary:

The 2024 harvest saw a shortage of pickers, government backtracking on positive legislation, and issues stemming from the cotton cluster system; problems rooted in continued state efforts to micromanage the industry.

While government-set quotas were abolished in 2020, a de facto quota persists via production targets that are “based on forecast yields derived from the system of forced crop placement.” Agricultural land in Uzbekistan is owned by the state and leased to farmers; many are obligated to grow cotton or grain, even when other crops would be more profitable.

In the 2024 harvest season, Uzbek Forum said, its monitors noted an “acute shortage of pickers” that was “caused by the inability of farmers to pay competitive wages due to rising production costs, government interference, and chronic outstanding debts of cotton clusters to farmers.

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Article Details

Author / Journalist: Catherine Putz

Category: Economy

Markets: United StatesChinaIndiaOmanTaiwanUzbekistan

Topics: Harvest Other Cotton Forum Uzbek Government Farmer Production Labor Forced Farmers

Source Website Secure: Yes (HTTPS)

News Sentiment: Neutral

Fact Checked: Legitimate

Article Type: News Report

Published On: 2025-03-13 @ 02:29:00 (1 days ago)

News Timezone: GMT +8:00

News Source URL: thediplomat.com

Language: English

Article Length: 2786 words

Reading Time: 16 minutes read

Sentences: 97 lines

Sentence Length: 29 words per sentence (average)

Platforms: Desktop Web, Mobile Web, iOS App, Android App

Copyright Owner: © The Diplomat

News ID: 26946513

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