The key facts

  • Minister Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov considers clusters the future of agriculture, especially in cotton growing
  • He acknowledged that clusters are unhappy with the high cost of cotton, while farmers are unhappy with low purchase prices
  • The Academy of Sciences and scientists were proposed as a mediator for aligning interests

The minister's position

Minister of Agriculture Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov considers the cluster system the future of the industry and the reports Gazeta. According to him, clusters should cooperate with farmers, incentivize them and harmonize the interests of both sides:

Why clusters are needed

The minister explained that clusters create a stable sales market for farmers by purchasing and processing the grown produce. This is especially important in cotton growing: without a cluster, a farmer may have neither a buyer nor processing options, and the produce risks going unsold — as, according to him, happens with other fruit and vegetable crops.

Disputes between clusters and farmers

Abdurakhmonov acknowledged the existence of disagreements: clusters are unhappy with the high cost of growing cotton, while farmers are unhappy that their produce is bought at low prices. To align interests, he proposed involving science: the Academy of Sciences and scientists, in his view, could act as mediators, simplify and reduce the cost of cultivation, and find a solution beneficial to both sides. Reducing costs through scientific developments, the minister noted, would lower production costs and create mutually beneficial conditions for farmers and clusters.

Acknowledging the problems

The minister admitted that the cluster system has not yet delivered the expected results for some farmers, but assessed this mechanism as one of the important reforms in agriculture. According to him, the president launched the cluster system so that farmers would achieve income.