00:02Uzbekistan has announced that it harvested more than 5 million tons of raw cotton this year,
00:07its largest crop since independence in 1991. That is around a quarter more than last year
00:13and above the government's target of 4.5 million tons. According to the government,
00:18the area planted with cotton has been reduced by 38%, while average yields have more than doubled.
00:24Machines peaked 85% of this year's harvest. Building on this year's record, President
00:30Shavkat Murdiyoyev has set a target of raising average cotton yields further in 2027.
00:36The country is also expanding domestic processing, turning more of its cotton into fabrics and clothing
00:42rather than exporting raw fiber.
00:58For decades, Uzbekistan's cotton harvest relied on compulsory labor. In 2022, the International
01:05Labor Organization confirmed that systematic forest and child labor had been eliminated.
01:11Cotton cultivation also carries environmental costs. The government is now promoting water-saving
01:17technologies and changes to soil management.
01:34The goal is to raise average yields from 5.6 tons per hectare this year to between 6.5 and
01:417 in 2027,
01:43using improved seeds, drones and water-saving technologies.
