The key facts

  • For the first time, 985.4 thousand hectares of land not reflected in previous statistics were counted; greenhouse area was revised from 8 to 22.1 thousand hectares
  • The cattle herd as of January 15, 2026 stood at 12.24 million head — 2.3 million fewer than previous estimates; the milk production estimate was lowered by 19.2%
  • The estimated value of crop production for 2025 was raised from 243 to 290.6 trillion soums (+19.6%), and the fish catch estimate was raised 2.2-fold

The first census refined the picture of agriculture

On November 13, the National Statistics Committee presented the final results of the population and agricultural census — the first-ever comprehensive accounting of the agricultural sector in the history of independent Uzbekistan. The census took place from January 15 to February 28, 2026 simultaneously with the population census, which was conducted for the first time in 37 years. Deputy Chairman of the Committee Zohidjon Ziyayev called the event one of the largest undertakings within the reform of the national statistical system: the data collected allow a fuller assessment of land use, the structure of agricultural activity, and the indicators needed for state planning.

Land: nearly a million hectares outside previous accounting

The main result — an additional 985.4 thousand hectares of land were counted that had not been captured by previous statistical observations; of these, 789.6 thousand hectares are sown areas. According to the census results, annual crops occupy 4.21 million hectares, natural hayfields and pastures — 21.17 million hectares, perennial plantations — about 3.5 million hectares, and forests — 3.57 million hectares. In processing the data, the Committee together with the Uzcosmos agency used geoinformation technologies and satellite images covering roughly two years, comparing them with cadastral data, after which specialists visited the plots and identified the actual users. Previously, statistics mainly accounted for land officially listed as agricultural in cadastral documents; now plots actually used for agricultural purposes were also included — for example, land of industrial enterprises and orchards on the territory of social institutions, as explained by Jahongir Kambarov, head of a department at the Committee. After refinement, the greenhouse area grew from 8 to 22.1 thousand hectares — almost 2.8 times, with 69.2% of this area belonging to dehkan and household farms of the population rather than large enterprises. Orchards and vineyards were revised from 516.3 to 613 thousand hectares (+18.7%).

Crops and output: revisions in both directions

For individual crops, the discrepancies were especially large: raspberry areas were revised from 119 to 3,281 hectares (27.6-fold), flower areas — from 471 to 5,189 hectares, and medicinal plants — from 5,096 to 24,802 hectares. For the first time, crops previously not singled out were counted separately: ferula (12,675 hectares), broccoli, licorice, lavender, blueberries, and even citrus — 201 hectares under lime, oranges, and tangerines. The Committee stressed that such jumps do not indicate real growth in areas over a year, but rather a refinement of the coverage of statistical accounting. The recalculation also affected 2025 production volumes: the grain estimate was raised by 8.6% to 11 million tons, vegetables — by 5.2% to 14.4 million tons, melons — by 28.2%, fruit — by 18.5%, and grapes — by 14.5%. The value of crop production was revised from 243 to 290.6 trillion soums (+19.6%). In livestock farming, the adjustment went the other way: the cattle herd as of January 15, 2026 stood at 12.24 million head — almost 2.3 million fewer than the previous estimate, with 87.1% of livestock kept in households. The estimates of beef and milk production for 2025 were lowered by 13.1% and 19.2% respectively. The fish catch estimate, by contrast, was raised 2.2-fold — from 205.5 to 446.5 thousand tons.

What the new figures mean

The Committee particularly noted that the changes should not be interpreted as real changes in 2025–2026 — neither the growth in areas and output volumes nor the reduction in livestock numbers reflect actual year-over-year dynamics; the point is bringing statistics into line with reality. The data were collected from the statements of census participants and compared with administrative data and the results of previous observations. The publication of detailed results broken down by regions and districts will continue in stages until July 1, 2027, although part of the results was presented ahead of schedule. The census also provided, for the first time, a picture of the structure of farms: 82.2 thousand of the 93.1 thousand heads of farms are men (about 88%), while among the 160.5 thousand heads of agricultural organizations women make up about 17.8%; the largest age group of heads is 35–44 years old. Seedling cultivation is almost entirely carried out by households: 99.7% of grape seedling producers are dehkan and household farms.