Nodir Djanibekov

Farm Reform in Uzbekistan

Land-reform processes are catalyzing agricultural transition in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and this is well illustrated by the process of farm restructuring in Uzbekistan. In Khorezm, a region in the northwest of the country, this process is mirrored in the nationwide reforms: state-induced farm restructuring, state ownership of land, land reform to transfer land from collective to individual use, and continuation of area-based state targets for cotton at fixed prices. This study has the following two key objectives: (1) to explain how the land reform has changed the production structure in private farms, and (2) to describe the main changes in private farming during the reform process. The development of private farming since independence in 1991 has taken place in four phases, which are distinguished by the speed of reform, number and average size of farms, their structural specialization, and changes in the farms’ cropping pattern. In the first two phases, farm restructuring led to a downsizing of producing units and to many independent farmers in coexistence with the old farming system. In the following period, the old system was completely dismantled. The final and most recent phase, imposed by national policy, has reversed this trend, and farms were increased to sizes similar to those in Soviet times; many farmers had to give back their long-term lease contract. Although it was expected that sooner or later farms would have to be larger to obtain viable and sustainable production units, it is argued that changing farm size alone, without any other supportive structural measures, will not provide sufficient incentives for reaching economically efficient farm enterprises. Along all stages of the farm restructuring process, the setup of agricultural infrastructure did not change much, or if it did change, then by state-imposed initiatives, which is constraining the development of farms and sustainable farming systems and practices.

Crop Diversification in Support of Sustainable Agriculture in Khorezm

Escalating soil degradation caused by soil salinity and rising saline groundwater tables, limits crop production in the irrigated lowlands of arid Uzbekistan. Crop diversification is one option for obtaining more stable farm incomes while improving natural resource use and environmental sustainability. Although the agro-climatic conditions in the country allow growing a wide variety of crops, few crops (cotton, winter wheat, rice, maize) dominate the crop portfolio, which also reflects the restrictions imposed by the state. In the Khorezm region in northwest Uzbekistan, we examined the economic and ecological suitability of alternative crops in a stepwise approach. A literature review resulted in a list of about 30 crops that would theoretically fit the agro-climatic conditions in this region. For field research, five crops with a high potential were selected based on socio-economic (potential income) and bio-physical (potential yield, crop quality, options for soil improvement, water use efficiency) criteria. The crops included sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), potato (Solanum tuberosum), the cash crop indigo (Indigofera tinctoria), and the food and feed crops mung bean (Vigna radiata) and sweet maize (Zea Mays L.). Field experiments were complemented with laboratory analyses and mathematical modeling for estimating the potential economic and ecological benefits from these crops. Three potato varieties from Germany out-yielded the local variety by at least 50%. Sorghum, indigo, maize and mung bean grew well on marginal lands and obtained very high revenues. Findings from the simulation runs demonstrate that crops such as maize for grain, potato and fodder crops could play an important role in coping with risks in drought years and for securing farm income. Field experiments and modeling results based on this extensive data set from Khorezm allow upscaling to regions in Central Asia with similar agro-climatic conditions.

Prospects of Agricultural Water Service Fees in the Irrigated Drylands Downstream of Amudarya

The limited availability of surface water, low water use efficiencies, a deteriorating irrigation network and land degradation aggravated by the impact of climate change are among the factors constraining agricultural production in the irrigated drylands of Central Asia. Recurrently, an introduction of water service fees has been suggested as one option to increase water use efficiency, which is analyzed here at the example of the downstream Amudarya Khorezm region, Uzbekistan. Underlying issues in introducing fees for water services in irrigated dryland agriculture given the state procurement policy are in Uzbekistan of crucial importance. Therefore, the impacts of different levels of water service fees were simulated with a mathematical programming model. The analysis and conclusions are based on changes in regional welfare, cropping pattern, export structure and economic attractiveness of crops to agricultural producers. Although the conclusions refer to the case study region, they help understanding the potential impact of water service fees on the national agricultural sector and add to the discussions on where opportunities for a (partial) cost recovery for the operation and maintenance of the irrigation system of Central Asian countries may exist. It is argued that the introduction of water service fees may indeed generate sufficient funds to recover costs for operation and maintenance of the irrigation network. However, as the current institutional setup constrains a significant reduction of agricultural water demand, the introduction of water service fees as an isolated measure is not likely to achieve the expected benefits unless flanked by additional measures such as reduction of the state production targets on crops.

From Joint Experimentation to Laissez- faire: Transdisciplinary Innovation Research for the Institutional Strengthening of a Water Users Association in Khorezm, Uzbekistan

Abstract Purpose: This article assesses a participatory action and innovation research experience, in which project researchers, farmers and staff members of a local water users association (WUA) came together to: (a) jointly test and adapt a social mobilization and institutional strengthening approach according to the local context, and by doing so, to (b) develop a locally embedded approach to the institutional strengthening of WUAs in Uzbekistan. Design/methodology/approach: The process of interaction and innovation development was one of joint experimentation, which over time and to avoid a disproportionate dependency on external social mobilizers increasingly adopted aspects of a laissez-faire approach, eventually relying fully on members of the local community. Findings: The findings show that the cooperation style is highly influenced by institutional and structural causes and effects in the specific context of rural Uzbekistan. Participatory approaches to the institutional strengthening of WUAs in Uzbekistan should consequently allow for a high degree of flexibility to adjust key activities and their timeframe. Practical implications: The research findings are relevant to the lowland irrigated areas of post-Soviet Central Asia where the strengthening of WUAs is still lacking, resulting in limited participation of water users and insufficient operation and maintenance of the slowly eroding infrastructure. Originality/value: The transdisciplinary innovation and action research experience pays special attention to the change in the style of cooperation, its institutional and structural causes and effects with regard to the ‘localizing’ of the innovation, namely a social mobilization and institutional development (SMID) approach for strengthening water users associations (WUAs) in Uzbekistan.

Economic-Ecological Optimization Model of Land and Resource Use at Farm-Aggregated Level

A Farm-Level Economic Ecological Optimization Model (FLEOM) was developed in the ZEF/UNESCO Khorezm project as a land-use planning and decision-support tool at the level of farms and Water Users Associations (WUAs) to couple ecological and economic optimization of land allocation. The agronomic database for cotton, winter wheat and maize that underlines the model was established with the cropping system simulation model CropSyst using data sets, field experience and knowledge of a range of agronomic and hydrological studies on irrigation and fertilizer response, planting dates, tillage and residue management. Potential users of this tool are medium-level stakeholders such as representatives of WUAs and the local water authority. Besides, the model is intended to be a tool for scientists and for university education. The features of FLEOM are presented through simulation of four different management scenarios, each with different sets of assumptions relating to changes in socio-economic conditions: (i) business-as-usual, (ii) commodity market liberalization, (iii) ecological commodity market liberalization, and (iv) dry-year scenario. The evaluation of the scenarios demonstrates that FLEOM produces consistent and plausible outputs, and that it can be used for quite complex scenario simulations. The scenario results reveal that under conditions of a liberalized commodity market, cotton production had no comparative advantages and would completely disappear, and with it the state income from cotton exports. However, simulations also highlighted that the state procurement of cotton seems to indirectly mitigate excessive use of irrigation water and that without the state procurement system, scarcity and conflicts over irrigation water even in normal years are likely to occur. Double cropping of rice and maize as summer crops after wheat was constrained mainly by the availability of water and/or by the obligation of fulfilling the state procurement production of cotton. Despite the model being normative, the simulation results are very reasonable and thus enable a better understanding of the impacts of different cotton policies on the farm economy as well as on farmers’ decisions with respect to land and water use in Khorezm. The results of this study can further contribute to the discussion on what policy options are available for promoting income and food resilience of rural producers in other areas of Uzbekistan that are prone to water scarcity, and with agronomic and economic conditions closely resembling those observed in the Khorezm region.