A recent conference on agricultural development, organized by the Farmers’ Council of Uzbekistan, claimed to bring together the voices of the country’s leading farmers. According to official reports, nearly 350 top farm managers were invited to present their views and discuss problems facing the development of diversified farming activities. These farmers were lauded with awards and promises of partial financial support and invitations to attend international trade fairs and wellness retreats.
However, behind this polished image lies a starkly different reality. Many farmers across Uzbekistan continue to face grave challenges that remain largely ignored by official channels. These include significant unpaid debts for delivery of cotton and wheat stretching back several years, a lack of genuine legal protection, and alarming incidents of violence.
Despite the Farmers’ Council’s claims of legal victories and billions of Soms recovered through court rulings—over 4,400 lawsuits filed, with 3,152 satisfied and more than 500 billion Soms collected—many farmers have yet to receive payments owed to them for the 2023 and 2024 harvests. According to experts and activists, debt recovery processes are stalling at the enforcement level, leaving farmers in limbo.
A troubling report from the Tax Committee chairman, Sherzod Kudbiyev, and Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Ahadbek Haydarov, reveals that clusters owe large amounts of money to farmers, causing them to fall behind on tax payments, fail to pay salaries, and unable to repay their own loans. Kudbiyev said at a July 19 open dialogue with textile industry representatives that clusters’ debts to farmers are significant and contribute to broader economic instability in rural communities.
Economist Otabek Bakirov highlighted that in some districts, debts for both the 2023 and 2024 harvests remain unpaid, and efforts to collect these debts have come to a halt. Meanwhile, farmers’ legal representatives continue to file claims in courts. Although many cases have been won, the money owed remains stuck within enforcement agencies.
Perhaps most disturbing is the recent case from Rishton district, Fergana region, where the head of the “Yuksalish” farm, Abdurashid Tojiboev, was brutally beaten by a group of people linked to the cluster’s leadership after demanding payment for wheat he delivered in 2024. This violent episode shocked the farming community and raised serious concerns about abuse of power and impunity within the cluster system.
Although investigations are underway, and some suspects have been detained, the violent act underscores the precarious position of farmers who dare to demand their rights. The cluster head, who also served as the local Farmers’ Council chairman, resigned amid the fallout.
Tojiboev’s story is far from isolated. Many farmers describe feeling helpless against powerful clusters and local officials. One farmer expressed deep frustration on a Telegram discussion platform, explaining how years of unpaid wages and debts have not only drained their finances but severely impacted their mental and physical health.
Critically, farmers who face these real and urgent problems are often excluded from high-profile events intended to address the challenges in the agriculture sector. The recent conference’s guest list was reportedly limited only to selected “leading” farm managers, while others, including victims of violence and unpaid debts, were not invited. Those who nonetheless attempted to take part were refused entry.
One farmer, the administrator of a popular farmers’ Telegram channel, revealed that even he was asked to leave the conference because he was not on the official list. This selective inclusion suggests a disconnect between official narratives and the lived realities of many Uzbek farmers.
One farmer’s blunt assessment sums up the sentiment:
“This changes nothing. It’s just a show to make it look like they are working. They could have come to the districts instead. It’s all about quotas and orders. The Farmers’ Council can’t really take the farmer’s side.”
While the Farmers’ Council reports impressive numbers—1.1 trillion Som’s worth of lawsuits filed on behalf of farmers, 517.9 billion Soms recovered, and thousands of claims filed against debtor enterprises—the actual impact on the ground remains questionable. Enforcement bottlenecks and corruption appear to undermine these efforts.
Moreover, official reports that “leading” farmers are recognized and supported raise questions about how representative these voices truly are. Many ordinary farmers feel sidelined and abandoned.
Uzbekistan’s agriculture sector stands at a crossroads. The gap between official optimism and farmers’ harsh realities threatens the sector’s stability and the livelihoods of thousands of rural families.
To move forward, the government and the Farmers’ Council must ensure transparency, broaden participation in national discussions, and most importantly, enforce timely payment to farmers. Addressing violence and intimidation perpetrated by or on behalf of clusters is equally critical. Ignoring these fundamental problems risks deepening rural despair and undermining Uzbekistan’s promises to support and dignify its farming communities.
