Uzbekistan raises cotton harvest payments to attract more workers

Starting from October 9, the price for manually harvested cotton across all regions has been set at 2,500 UZS per kilogram, according to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Previously, commercial banks provided 1,500 UZS per kilogram of cotton to harvesters through loans, which led to difficulties in attracting enough seasonal workers. The Ministry acknowledged that this payment rate created challenges in mobilizing labor for the harvest season.

To address this issue and strengthen financial incentives for harvesters, the price was increased to 2,500 UZS per kilogram. Of this amount, 2,000 UZS will be sourced from the government’s agricultural support fund, while the remaining 500 UZS will be provided by cotton clusters.