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Uzbekistan's cotton harvest tops five million tonnes as yield goal rises
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev wants higher cotton yields in 2027, while officials credit new varieties and mechanization for the record crop.
Uzbekistan's government reported a 2026 raw cotton harvest exceeding five million tonnes, describing it as the largest since the country became independent in 1991. Officials said production rose by around a quarter, surpassing an initial goal of 4.5 million tonnes.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev is targeting a national average yield of 6.5 to seven tonnes per hectare for 2027, against the current 5.6 tonnes per hectare. Planned steps include more productive cotton varieties, artificial intelligence, drones and irrigation improvements.
Authorities attributed the larger crop to changes in varieties and planting techniques, alongside greater mechanization. They said cotton acreage had contracted by 38% over recent years. A fleet exceeding 3,000 machines collected around 85% of the harvest within 30 to 35 days.
The country is also expanding textile manufacturing. The World Bank says Uzbekistan's processing capacity has been sufficient since 2023 to convert its whole raw cotton crop into yarn. The bank estimated textile employment at around 600,000 people in 2024, versus 188,000 in 2018.
Agriculture consumes about 90% of Uzbekistan's water, according to the World Bank. Agriculture Minister Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov said growers were replacing field flooding with drip irrigation, which he estimated could lower water consumption by around 40%.
Authorities forecast combined net earnings for cotton farmers of 13–14 trillion Uzbek soums from the 2026 crop. Final profit figures have not yet been confirmed.