President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on measures to prevent pasture degradation, improve water supply and increase the efficient use of pasturelands across the country. According to the presentation, Uzbekistan has 21.255mn hectares of pastureland, of which only 40% is currently being used effectively. The government plans to restore and improve the productivity of 620,000 hectares by the end of 2026 and 3.7mn hectares by 2027.
Regional governors have been instructed to develop and approve comprehensive programs in coordination with the Agency for the Development of Livestock and Pasture Farming. These programs are expected to reduce the area of degraded pastureland by 10% in 2026 and 20% in 2027. As part of the measures, public pastures will be established to provide residents of remote areas with access to grazing land for their livestock.
Source: Presidential Press Service
By the end of 2026, a total of 627,000 hectares of pastureland will be allocated to 470 mahallas (local communities) under free 49-year lease agreements. The allocated lands will also be exempt from taxation. The presentation also addressed the formalization of land-use rights for livestock farmers who have been using pasturelands for extended periods.
The mandate of the commission responsible for registering 623,000 hectares of pastureland in the names of existing users will be extended until the end of 2026. These lands currently support approximately 260,000 head of livestock. Improving water availability was identified as one of the main priorities for restoring pasture productivity.
Under the proposed arrangements, revenue collected from pastureland lease payments will remain with regional pasture management organizations. These funds will be used to drill an additional 448 wells, providing improved water access to 1.5mn hectares of pastureland by 2027. Another 1,600 existing wells are scheduled to be repaired by the end of 2026.
Source: Presidential Press Service
The government has also allocated UZS 100bn (over $8.4mn) from the state budget for the construction of 323 irrigation facilities over three years. Of these, 161 facilities are planned for 2026, followed by 81 in 2027 and another 81 in 2028. The irrigation projects are expected to create conditions for rehabilitating approximately 969,000 hectares of pastureland.
Several regional projects were presented as examples of measures to increase pasture productivity and improve livestock feed supplies. In Navoi region, the Kengsoy pumping station is being reconstructed using UZS 30bn (over $2.5mn) allocated from the local budget. The project is expected to support the development of 20,000 hectares of pastureland.
Eleven entrepreneurs in the area have also begun constructing water reservoirs and introducing sprinkler irrigation technologies. These measures are expected to establish the capacity to produce 250,000 tons of fodder annually, sufficient to support 60,000 head of cattle. In Kashkadarya region's Nishon district, a pivot irrigation system is being introduced across 1,332 hectares of pastureland, alongside the cultivation of new fodder crops.
Instructions were issued to extend this approach to the Muborak and Dehqonobod districts. The regional initiative also includes establishing 9,400 hectares of seed-growing areas within one year. The presentation outlined changes to land-use regulations intended to facilitate the development of livestock infrastructure.
Source: Presidential Press Service
Under the new rules, livestock complexes will be permitted on pastureland without requiring changes to the land's designated classification. For these projects, the initial price of land plots and applicable land taxes will be calculated using the rates established for agricultural land. Plans have been finalized for the construction of 15 livestock complexes in the Navoi, Samarkand and Surkhandarya regions.
The facilities will occupy a combined area of 130 hectares and are designed to accommodate more than 55,000 head of livestock. Permitted activities will include ecotourism, beekeeping, cultivation of medicinal plants, nursery operations, hunting and sericulture.
These activities will be allowed on the condition that they preserve the natural state of pasturelands and support their regeneration.