4–5 November 2026
Uzbekistan harvested more than 5 million tonnes of raw cotton (unprocessed, still containing seeds) in 2026 — the highest total since independence in 1991, the Ministry of Agriculture announced. The harvest beat the target set in contracts with farmers (4.5 million tonnes) by at least 500,000 tonnes. Cotton was grown on about 890,000 hectares.
In a 4 November address, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said the planted area has shrunk by 38% in recent years, while the average yield rose from 2.1 to 5.6 tonnes per hectare. By 4 November more than 3,000 machines had picked 85% of the crop; in Jizzakh and Syrdarya regions harvesting is fully mechanised (done entirely by machines). He said water use in cotton growing is half the level of the 1990s, though he did not explain how this was calculated.
An important detail: higher yields on a smaller area may free land for other crops such as vegetables and fruit, and show the results of investment in irrigation and machinery. The international Cotton Campaign coalition (labour-rights organisations) says state-organised forced labour in the harvest has ended, but labour-rights concerns remain — relevant for EU buyers when assessing suppliers.
Sources: The Times of Central Asia (citing Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture), 5 November 2026.