“Dehqan” Farms: Uzbekistan’s Underserved 70 Percent

Support targeted to the small Dehqan farms would increase national agricultural productivity, supporting livelihoods in rural areas. Seventy percent of Uzbekistan’s agricultural output comes from the Dehqan farms that represent 95 percent of all farms and operate only one-fifth of all farmland. Dehqan farms have unrestricted production and marketing choices, stronger tenure security, and higher crop productivity compared with large farms. Dehqan farms, however, experience global yield gaps, have difficulty entering modern markets and own little incomes. Uzbekistan’s agriculture sector needs to ensure that Dehqan farms receive the vital support they require for increased productivity, commercial competitiveness, and profitability. Priorities are land markets, collective actions, farm advisory services and integration of young and female managed Dehqan. The sector will benefit by learning from global practices in smallholder agricultural transformation.