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Agriculture

Uzbekistan to Borrow $400 Million to Accelerate Agricultural Mechanization

Uzbekistan has approved a plan to attract up to $400 million in foreign loans to finance the purchase of agricultural machinery and equipment, according to a presidential decree signed on March 13. The initiative is intended to increase the level of mechanization in the agricultural sector, with particular emphasis on cotton harvesting. Officials have set a target of achieving a 70% share of machine-assisted cotton picking in 2026, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce labor intensity. Under the decree, commercial banks will distribute foreign credit lines provided under state guarantees to farmers and agricultural enterprises. The loans will have a maturity period of up to 10 years, including a two-year grace period. Interest rates will be set at the Central Bank’s base rate plus a 4% margin charged by participating banks. Payments for cotton and grain harvesters supplied through these preferential loans and leasing arrangements in 2026 will be scheduled twice a year, on January 31 and July 31. Uzbekistan has officially abolished Soviet-era practices of forced labor and eliminated state cotton production quotas in 2020. The government has also cooperated with the International Labour Organization to monitor labor conditions in the sector. In March 2022, the international coalition Cotton Campaign lifted its boycott of Uzbek cotton, citing the elimination of systemic forced labor that had previously prompted more than 330 global brands to avoid sourcing from the country.

Agriculture

Spring Sowing Begins in Kyrgyzstan as Officials Stress Food Security

Spring sowing has begun in Kyrgyzstan, where agricultural crops are expected to be planted on a total of 1.25 million hectares in 2026, according to the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry. Of this area, about 818,000 hectares are irrigated land and 432,000 hectares are rainfed. As of March 12, sowing was underway in the southern regions of Osh, Jalal-Abad, and Batken, as well as in the Chui Valley. Fieldwork has not yet started in the colder regions of Talas, Issyk-Kul, and Naryn. Farmers have so far planted grain crops, including wheat and barley, along with potatoes and various vegetables. The ministry has recommended that farmers prioritize crops considered important for national food security. Turatbek Idrisov, head of the ministry’s Department of Plant Growing, Horticulture, and Cooperatives, said producers should focus on socially significant crops such as wheat, barley, potatoes, onions, and sugar beet. He noted that grain crops and sugar beet are included in the country’s list of strategic food reserves. According to ministry monitoring data, the expansion of livestock farming in recent years has led to increased cultivation of fodder crops, particularly barley and maize. Officials also noted that crops such as maize, raspberries, and strawberries have demonstrated relatively high profitability for farmers. The ministry is encouraging producers to adopt water-saving irrigation technologies, including drip and sprinkler systems. Farmers who implement such methods are eligible for state-supported concessional loans with reduced interest rates. Authorities say Kyrgyzstan is currently fully self-sufficient in six of nine socially significant food products, potatoes, milk, meat, vegetables, eggs, and sugar. However, the country remains partially dependent on imports of three key staples: bread products (including flour and grain), vegetable oil, and fruit.

Agriculture

Kazakhstan Considers Supporting Dairy Sector to Curb Inflation

Kazakhstan’s government is considering additional support for dairy processors and bakeries as part of broader efforts to slow inflation and stabilize prices for essential food products. The proposal was discussed during a government meeting focused on inflation dynamics and price trends for socially significant food products. According to Aizhan Bizhanova, Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Trade and Integration, inflation in the country has been slowing for five consecutive months, declining from 12.9% in September 2025 to 11.7% in February 2026. Food inflation has also continued to ease, falling from 13.5% in December and 12.9% in January to 12.7% in February. The ministry attributes the slowdown in part to the expansion of the list of socially significant food products subject to price regulation. The list has been expanded from 19 to 31 items, and since the beginning of the year authorities have opened more than 800 administrative cases related to violations of pricing rules. “During the first week of March, the price index for socially significant food products increased by 0.1%. At the same time, dairy products recorded price growth, mainly due to rising costs of raw milk,” the government’s press service said in a statement. Additional pressure on prices has also come from higher energy costs and increased production expenses. Dairy products account for a significant share of Kazakhstan’s food inflation, estimated at about 6.3%. The Ministry of Trade and Integration therefore proposed exploring mechanisms to support dairy processing enterprises in order to reduce production costs and stabilize prices. The government also discussed possible support measures for Kazakhstan’s bakery sector. Among the options considered were providing bakeries with discounted grain and flour and exploring the possibility of lowering railway tariffs for transporting raw materials. Officials suggested working with the national railway operator Kazakhstan Temir Zholy to reduce transportation costs for the sector. Participants at the meeting noted that prices traditionally rise in March due to seasonal factors. However, the Ministry of Trade and Integration plans to mitigate the impact through additional price discount campaigns and expanded agricultural fairs. Kazakhstan also continues to use a “green corridor” mechanism to facilitate the import of vegetables from neighboring countries. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin, who chaired the meeting, instructed authorities to conduct a detailed review of pricing at 42 dairy processing enterprises operating in Kazakhstan. The aim is to identify effective mechanisms for supporting producers and stabilizing consumer prices. Officials also highlighted slow releases of vegetables from regional stabilization funds, which supply products to the market at fixed prices. The slow pace was particularly noted in the Aktobe, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, and Ulytau regions. Zhumangarin instructed the Ministries of Agriculture and Trade to inspect regional stabilization funds and verify the actual availability of products reported by local authorities. Despite recent improvements, several international organizations expect inflation in Kazakhstan to remain elevated in 2026. S&P Global Ratings forecasts inflation will reach about 11% by the end of the year. The Eurasian Development Bank predicts inflation could fall to 9.7% by...

Agriculture

Kazakhstan Extends Ban on Chicken Egg Imports to Support Domestic Producers

Kazakhstan has decided to extend a ban on chicken egg imports in an effort to support domestic poultry producers. The restriction will also apply to imports from member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), despite the absence of customs borders within the bloc. The decision was made during a meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission on Foreign Trade and Participation in International Economic Organizations, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin. The commission reviewed several key issues affecting the country’s food security and economic policy. “An import ban on chicken eggs will be introduced for six months, including imports from EAEU countries. The relevant order will be adopted by the Ministry of Agriculture,” the government press service said following the meeting. According to the government, Kazakhstan currently has 70 poultry farms, including 34 specializing in egg production, 29 focused on meat production, and seven engaged in breeding and reproduction. In 2025, domestic production of chicken eggs increased by 2.4% to reach 4.57 billion eggs. As a result, local production now covers approximately 98% of domestic demand. Kazakhstan previously introduced temporary restrictions on egg imports in December 2025, when the Ministry of Agriculture imposed a one-month ban on imports of fresh chicken eggs. That measure expired on January 11, 2026. Earlier, a similar restriction had already been in place from April 2025 for six months. Taken together, these measures effectively closed Kazakhstan’s egg market to imports for more than a year. The commission also reviewed the possibility of introducing restrictions on potato exports. After assessing domestic market conditions, however, officials decided not to impose export limits. According to the government, stabilized prices and sufficient domestic supply make it possible to maintain potato exports without additional restrictions. At the same time, requirements for exporters seeking beef export quotas will be eased. The decision takes into account the government’s Comprehensive Livestock Development Plan, which aims to increase Kazakhstan’s cattle population from 7.9 million to 12 million head. The program also seeks to expand Kazakhstan’s beef export potential and open new foreign markets. The Ministry of Agriculture will amend the existing quota distribution rules accordingly. Meanwhile, authorities decided to extend the ban on the export of breeding livestock, including female cattle, as well as young bulls, in order to preserve breeding stock and ensure sufficient supply for domestic meat processors. The restriction also applies to exports to EAEU member states. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan increased revenue from agricultural exports by more than one-third in 2025 compared to 2024.

Agriculture

Escalation in the Middle East Threatens Kyrgyzstan’s Agricultural Export Potential

Escalating tensions in the Middle East are putting pressure on Kyrgyzstan’s export routes, a significant portion of which previously transited through Iranian territory. Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and on the Caspian Sea have provided Kyrgyz producers with access to markets in the Middle East and Europe. According to the National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan, cattle exports from Kyrgyzstan declined fivefold in 2024. In 2025, domestic meat prices rose sharply amid what authorities described as uncontrolled exports of cattle carcasses, primarily to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. In response, the State Antimonopoly Service introduced maximum retail prices for lamb and beef in the domestic market and imposed a temporary ban on livestock exports to neighboring countries. To stabilize supply, the government approved meat imports from India for processing plants, while domestic production was intended to meet internal demand. Against this backdrop, many farmers shifted their focus to exporting chilled meat to Iran. In 2024, shipments resumed, beginning with an initial 10-ton consignment, after which volumes gradually increased. The Ministry of Agriculture announced plans to raise lamb exports to Iran to 1,000 tons. In addition to meat, Kyrgyz companies exported legumes, grains, and dried vegetables to Middle Eastern markets via Iranian ports. Honey, beans, and nuts were also shipped to Europe using Iranian transit routes. However, in the context of renewed military tensions, Kyrgyz exporters may now need to seek alternative logistics corridors or new destination markets. Any rerouting is likely to increase transportation costs and reduce the price competitiveness of Kyrgyz agricultural products. In 2023, the Eurasian Economic Commission signed a free trade agreement with Iran, which entered into force on May 15, 2024. The agreement provides for the creation of “green customs corridors,” the digitalization of trade procedures, and the introduction of electronic transit mechanisms. According to EEC Minister for Trade Andrey Slepnev, the deal was intended to facilitate accelerated access to the Iranian market for companies from the Eurasian Economic Union. Under the agreement, goods from EAEU member states benefit from tariff preferences, including zero or reduced import duties in Iran. Iranian products receive comparable preferences within the EAEU market. Last year, Tehran also proposed that Bishkek consider establishing its own merchant fleet, using Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea to export Kyrgyz agricultural products and expand transit opportunities.

Agriculture

Farmers, Courts, and Investors: Examining Recent Land Disputes in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector is once again in the spotlight following a recent report by Human Rights Watch and the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, which raised concerns about the treatment of cotton and wheat farmers under what it describes as a coercive state production system. At the same time, local agricultural representatives argue that the situation is more complex and that recent legal and institutional changes have improved farmers’ ability to defend their rights. The debate intensified earlier this year after complaints from farmers in parts of the Syrdarya region, particularly in the Xovos district, regarding land seizures linked to failure to meet so-called “normative yield” requirements. Komoliddin Ikromov, head of the Agrobiznes Association, has been among the most vocal local figures commenting on these developments. State Plan Abolished, but Normative Yields Remain According to Ikromov, it is important to distinguish between the former state production plan and the current regulatory framework. “There is no state plan now,” he said. “The state order was abolished in 2020. What exists today is the concept of rational land use. If a farm’s yield falls below the normative level for three consecutive years, then the land may be withdrawn, but only through a court decision.” While cotton state procurement was abolished beginning with the 2020 harvest, reforms affecting wheat and grain procurement were phased in and linked to the 2021 harvest. Ikromov referred to Article 36 of the Land Code, which sets out the procedure for termination of land-use rights where land is used irrationally or in violation of law. Detailed criteria — such as persistent underperformance relative to normative yield levels — are established in related regulatory acts rather than in the Land Code text itself. “Under current legislation, the khokim (local governor) cannot independently seize land,” Ikromov said. “The case must be submitted to the court. Only a court can decide.” Ikromov cited reforms adopted beginning in 2022 and subsequently strengthened by presidential measures in 2024, which expanded electronic auction procedures and curtailed direct administrative land allocation. Complaints from Farmers Beginning in January, the Agrobiznes Association started receiving complaints from farmers, mainly in Syrdarya. “I personally received about 50 to 60 appeals,” Ikromov said. “In total, there were more than 100 messages, mostly through Telegram.” According to him, many complaints concerned pressure to voluntarily surrender land leases through notarized statements. Farmers alleged that they were being encouraged or pressured to go to a notary and sign documents relinquishing their land. “These were not isolated cases,” he said. “In some districts, it was widespread. But after the issue was raised publicly, the process shifted. Now cases are going through courts.” Ikromov noted that unusual weather conditions contributed to the problem. Heatwaves and water shortages in 2024 made it difficult for some farmers to meet normative yield levels. In areas like Xovos, where soil fertility is relatively low, he said, agricultural production is already more challenging. Legal Process and Court Outcomes Following public attention, including Ikromov’s interview with the Uzbek outlet Kun.uz, land disputes increasingly...