Spatial and Temporal Variations in Levels and Growth of Agricultural Productivity in Uzbekistan

Abstract

The paper examines Spatial and Temporal Variations in Levels and Growth of Agricultural Productivity in Uzbekistan, which can pay a major role in examining levels of regional imbalances within the country as a whole and accordingly priority regions for planning purposes can be framed out. Uzbekistan is characterized by a significant shift of resources from the traditional Soviet model of collective agriculture to more market-compliant individual and family farming, and this type of farming is marked a significant change in growth in agricultural output in recent years. In Uzbekistan, the beginning of the policy-driven switch to family farming around 1997 coincided with the beginning of recovery in agriculture, namely resumption of agricultural growth after a phase of transition decline since 1991. In addition to growth in total agricultural production, there has also been observed a significant increase in productivity of both land and labor since 1997. These observations suggest that productivity growth may be attributable to the changes in farming structure in Uzbekistan, and as such the present paper aims to study levels and growth of agricultural productivity in Uzbekistan in its spatial and temporal context.

Keywords: Agricultural Productivity, Agricultural Growth, Intensive and Extensive growth, Household Plots, Spatial and Temporal Variations