Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has reviewed a presentation on pastureland restoration, improving water supplies and increasing the efficiency of land use. The country has 21.255 million hectares of pastureland, but only 40% of this area is being used effectively for economic activity.
Following the review, officials were assigned tasks to implement a recently signed resolution on the efficient use of pastures. A total of 620,000 hectares is planned for restoration by the end of this year, followed by another 3.7 million hectares next year, with measures to increase productivity.
Regional governors, together with the Agency for the Development of Livestock and Pasture Management, have been instructed to approve comprehensive programmes within one month. The programmes must reduce the area of degraded land by 10% this year and 20% next year.
Expanding access to water will be a key priority. In Navoiy Region, the Kengsoy pumping station was reconstructed using 30 billion soums from the local budget, enabling the development of 20,000 hectares of pastureland. Eleven entrepreneurs have begun building reservoirs and introducing sprinkler irrigation systems in these areas. The initiative is expected to produce 250,000 tonnes of fodder annually for 60,000 head of cattle.
In Nishan district of Kashkadarya Region, an irrigation system using centre-pivot sprinklers has been introduced across 1,332 hectares, and sowing has begun for fodder crops adapted to local conditions. Officials have been instructed to extend this experience to Mubarek and Dehkanabad districts. In addition, 9,400 hectares of seed-production plots are planned for establishment within a year.
Additional wells will be drilled to improve water supplies to pastures. Revenue from pastureland leases will remain at the disposal of local pasture management entities. These funds will be used to drill 448 wells, improving water supplies to 1.5 million hectares next year. Repairs to 1,600 wells are also planned by the end of this year.
In addition, 161 hydraulic structures for irrigation are scheduled to be built this year using 100 billion soums in budget funds. A further 81 facilities are planned annually for 2027 and 2028. In total, the 323 structures are expected to support the restoration of 969,000 hectares of pastureland.
Special attention was given to formalizing property rights for livestock farmers who have used pastureland for many years. The mandate of the relevant commission responsible for registering 623,000 hectares in the names of their actual users will be extended until the end of the year. Some 260,000 head of livestock are currently grazing on these lands.
Communal pastures will be established for residents of remote areas who keep livestock in their household farms. By the end of this year, 627,000 hectares are planned to be leased free of charge to 470 mahallas for 49 years. These lands will be exempt from taxation.
The new procedure will also allow livestock complexes to be built without changing the designated category of pastureland. The starting price of plots and land tax will be calculated under the rules applicable to agricultural land. In Navoiy, Samarkand and Surkhandarya regions, 15 livestock complexes with a combined area of 130 hectares are planned, with capacity for more than 55,000 head of livestock.
The authorities also intend to expand the use of pastureland beyond traditional livestock farming. Leasing will be proposed for ecotourism, beekeeping, hunting, sericulture, and the cultivation of medicinal plants and seedlings. Such projects will be required to preserve natural ecosystems and ensure pastureland restoration.
Following the presentation, officials were instructed to take measures to restore land, strengthen water and fodder resources, and make use of new opportunities for residents and businesses.
