Uzbekistan plans pastureland restoration to boost livestock
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Uzbekistan’s government tasked regional governors with restoring 3.7 million hectares of pastureland by 2027, after presenting the plans to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The country currently has 21.25 million hectares of pastureland, but utilizes only 40% effectively. Authorities will first restore 620,000 hectares and improve productivity by the end of 2026, aiming to reduce degraded land by 10% that year and 20% the following year.
To improve water access for livestock, the government intends to drill 448 new wells and repair 1,600 existing ones, expecting to improve supplies across 1.5 million hectares by 2027. They also allocated UZS 100 billion to build 323 irrigation facilities over four years, supporting the restoration of nearly 969,000 hectares. In the Navoi region, local funds and private investment are developing 20,000 hectares of pastureland with the goal of producing 250,000 tons of animal feed annually.
Alongside restoration, officials will formalize land-use rights for farmers currently using 623,000 hectares of pastureland to graze 260,000 head of livestock, extending a registration commission’s mandate through 2026.
