For the first time in modern history, more than 5 million tons of cotton harvest were grown in Uzbekistan. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated dehqons and farmers, cluster employees, and field workers on this record result.
According to the head of state, this result is the fruit of reforms implemented in the cotton industry, modern agrotechnologies, water-saving technologies, and mechanization processes.
According to the President's data, in recent years the average yield in cotton growing has increased from 21 centners to 56 centners. This indicator signifies a 2.7-fold growth. Also, compared to the 1990s, water consumption has halved.
This year, the average yield reached 70 centners on nearly 400 thousand hectares of land, and 100–110 centners of cotton were harvested from nearly 70 thousand hectares of land. Nearly a thousand farming enterprises and clusters achieved an average result of 100 centners and above.
Certain farming enterprises also recorded high indicators. In particular, Anorboy Eshmatov from Pakhtakor district of Jizzakh region and Ulugbek Sopiyev from Jarkurgan district of Surkhandarya region harvested 110 centners per hectare of land.
The President also specially acknowledged that a cotton harvest exceeding 400 thousand tons was built in Karakalpakstan. In Jizzakh, Khorezm, Bukhara, Navoi, and Syrdarya regions, the average yield exceeded 60 centners.
The level of mechanization in harvesting the crop has also increased significantly. According to the data cited by the head of state, 85 percent of the cotton grown this year was harvested within 30–35 days with the help of more than 3 thousand cotton harvesting machines. In Jizzakh and Syrdarya regions, the level of mechanization reached 100 percent.
At the same time, it was emphasized that as a result of using drones in cotton growing, digitalization, and the introduction of non-traditional technologies, expenses have halved.
According to the President, this year farmers are expected to make a net profit of 13–14 trillion soums from cotton.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that the goal next year is to bring the cotton yield to an average of 65–70 centners. For this, it is planned to make broader use of high-yielding seed varieties, agrodrones, water and energy-saving technologies, and artificial intelligence capabilities.
In his congratulation, the head of state called these results in cotton growing the “New Uzbekistan Miracle”. He emphasized that the labor of dehqons and farmers, modern technologies, and reforms in the system play an important role in the development of the industry.
