Cotton production in Uzbekistan

Cotton grown on Uzbekistan land was recorded nearly 2000 years ago by the Chinese. The government strictly controlled the industry and introduced quotas to ensure efficient production at collective farms (kolkhozes). Between 1976 and 1983, the country's leadership defrauded the Soviet central bank by falsely inflating Uzbek cotton harvest yields, creating the "cotton scandal" as the most notorious scandal during the tenure of Sharof Rashidov; it resulted in discrediting the political elite of Uzbekistan. Since independence, the Soviet-style quotas have remained intact and the Uzbek government still dominates the national industry. 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. ==Farming==

Cotton is planted during April-early May and harvested in September. The plantations are concentrated in the periphery of Aydar Lake (near Bukhara) and also to some extent in Tashkent along the Syr Darya, and along the Amu Darya in the border area with Turkmenistan. During the year 2010–11, the area under cotton plantation was about 1.3 million hectares and the yield of lint reported was 752 kg/hectare. Okdare 6, Namangan 77 and Tashkent 6 are the common varieties of cotton planted in the country. However, while appreciating the need to introduce better high yielding and early maturing cotton, new varieties have been adopted since 2009; these varieties are: Bukhara 102, Bukhara 8, Andijan 35 and Khoresm 150. Most of cotton farms are irrigated but there is need to rehabilitate the water supply system to reduce water loss. Pests are suitably controlled with biological methods. ==Forced labour==

Forced child labour in cotton production is a practice in Uzbekistan, and the Uzbek government has long employed children as young as 9 in the industry. From a very young age, children are reared to look forward to harvest time, known as "pahta" and to enjoy harvesting the cotton as an "opportunity for them to contribute to their nation's prosperity". If government workers and professionals refuse to work they can be penalised with a lower income and the child workers can be beaten. In response to international pressure and the threat to the industry from the boycotting of its cotton, conditions in the country are gradually improving. In early 2012, Uzbekistani Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyayev (who has since succeeded Karimov to the presidency of Uzbekistan) issued a decree banning children from working in the cotton fields. In December 2014, the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor issued by the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the cotton industry is still employing underage children and indentured labourers. Uzbek human rights activist Elena Urlaeva, who was arrested and detained in psychiatric hospitals in 2015, 2016 and 2017 for shedding a light on forced labour in the cotton industry, played a major role in the campaign to boycott Uzbek cotton. ==Lifting of cotton ban==

In March 2022, the Cotton Campaign ended its call to boycott Uzbek cotton. ==Uzbek Cotton Industry Today==

As of March 2020, Uzbekistan liberalized the cotton market with a presidential decree. Starting from the 2020 harvest season, State regulation of cotton production, price and mandatory sales plan is abolished. The cotton production area is estimated as 980,000 hectares for Marketing Year (MY) 2020/21 and the production is about 3.1 million bales (about 670,000 MT). At this point, it was expected that Uzbekistan's cotton exports will be kept to minimal levels due to the government policy to increase value-added yarn and fabric production and develop the domestic textile industry. The Government has dedicated significant resources into increasing cotton processing and textile manufacturing. According to Government statistics, since 2017, cotton processing has increased from 40% of cotton crop in 2017, to 100% in 2022. In September 2022, the President said that the quote system for famers had been abolished, and cotton was no longer exported, and was instead processed domestically. The company is working to introduce modern and sustainable technologies to the Uzbek cotton sector, including full traceability of products. Dan Patterson, Silverleafe General Director, was awarded the Order of Friendship by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in 2022. Uzbek cotton exports have become the cause of a scandal related to the Russian-Ukrainian war and sanctions imposed on the Russian military industry. According to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Vlast, and iStories, after February 24, 2022, Uzbekistan significantly increased its exports of cotton pulp and nitrocellulose to Russia, key components for the manufacture of explosives and gunpowder. According to Ekonomichna Pravda, at least two large Uzbek exporters have been working with Russian military-industrial complex enterprises. Documents from the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation confirm that at least three Russian companies - Bina Group, Khimtrade, and Lenakhim - sold imported cotton pulp in Russia to military plants under US sanctions.{{cite web|url=https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/articles/2024/01/10/7436569/ ==References==