ABSTRACT
UzbekistanemergedasanindependentstateinSeptember1991witha legacyofanundiversifiedmonoculturalagricultureheavilyspecializedin cotton.DuringtheSovietera,cottonproductioninUzbekistanregistered persistentgainsfromtheverybeginningofcollectivizationin1928,often attheexpenseofwheatandothercereals.Uzbekistanbecamethemain supplierofrawcottontotheUSSR,accountingforover60percentof cottonoutputintheUSSRduringthe1980s.Thecentrallyprescribed productionofcottoninadrydesertregionwassustainedthroughintensive irrigationfromthetwomainCentralAsianrivers,theAmuDaryaandthe SyrDarya,thusdramaticallyreducingtheflowofwatertotheAralSeaand directlycontributingtotheenvironmentaldisasterthathadalreadybecome knownundertheSovietregimeasthe'AralSeacatastrophe.' 2
SincethedeclarationofindependenceinSeptember1991,Uzbekistan hasembarkedonaprogramofreformsintendedtoachieveatransition fromacommandeconomytoamarket-orientedeconomy.Thereformsin theagriculturalsectorareaimedtoimprovetheefficiencyofproduction withtheobjectiveofincreasingtheoutputandeliminatingthetraditionally wastefuluseofresources.3Thesegoalsaretobeaccomplishedthroughthe processoflandreformandfarmrestructuring,implementedsimultaneously withpriceandtradepolicyreforms.Thecomplexreformprocessisbasicallyexpectedtochangetheproducerincentives,strengtheningprofit orientationandthusincreasingpersonalinvolvementandmotivation. Theattemptedchangeinproducerincentives,however,hasnotbeen accompaniedbyacomprehensivereformofpropertyrights,asallagriculturallandremainsinstateownership.
