Farmer Barno Davlatova from the Syrdarya district, Syrdarya region, has accused local authorities of unlawfully confiscating her surplus wheat, which was in excess of her contractual obligations with the state enterprise Oqoltin Don.

In a report published by local media Effect.uz, Davlatova said that on June 6, on the religious holiday of Kurban-Khayit, the district hokim (head of the local administration), Aziz Turdimurodov, sent a police unit to her property. Despite her objections, police seized ten tons of wheat that she had set aside to pay the wages of her workers.

“I met the terms of my contract and delivered the required amount of grain to the state,” Davlatova said. “The remaining wheat was mine. I needed it to pay my workers. I didn’t take out any loans — I grew this wheat using my own funds. If farmers are not allowed to keep surplus grain, then the government should pass a law clearly stating that.”

She also said that her land is marshy and poorly suited for growing wheat. She had formally requested permission to plant rice instead, which is more compatible with the terrain. However, her appeals went unanswered, and she was forced to grow wheat under threat of losing her land. She further noted that her crop brought no profit due to low yields and poor market prices.

An audio recording published by Effect.uz appears to capture a conversation between Davlatova and hokim Turdimurodov, during which he accuses her of keeping the surplus wheat without his permission. In the recording, he threatens to launch a full inspection of her farm, saying: “Now it has become a matter of principle. I will take your land.”

Davlatova eventually agreed to surrender the ten tons of surplus for what was described as “temporary state storage”, after the hokim assured her the wheat would not be sold without her permission.

Following the publication, the Uzbek Farmers’ Council submitted an appeal to the Syrdarya Regional Prosecutor’s Office, urging legal action against the hokim and the police who were involved. The Council emphasized that, according to Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 345 (dated May 31, 2025), any surplus grain produced after fulfilling a state contract,  belongs to the farmer.

The Farmer’s Council called for an investigation into hokim Turdimurodov’s conduct and potential abuse of power. As of now, the Syrdarya district administration has not issued an official response to the allegations.

The illegal confiscation of surplus grain from farmers in Uzbekistan is not an isolated case. Local media regularly report similar incidents across the country, often involving regional officials, and violations of farmers’ property rights are routinely ignored.