Poverty in Uzbekistan

President Karimov's control over Uzbekistan is founded upon his monopoly of Uzbekistan's exports of cotton; a commodity which accounts for 60% of the country's hard currency export earnings. By "managing" the sale of Uzbekistan's cotton crop, his political inner circle have direct control over a large section of the national income. Within the highly secretive environment which characterises central government, President Karimov and those close to him, are able to allocate Uzbekistan's billion dollar cotton revenues with little public scrutiny. This tremendous financial resource, coupled with a system of regional administration which enforces annual cotton production, has enabled the Karimov regime to make Uzbekistan a slave nation.

The official price that farmers receive in return for their cotton represents just one third of its true value. But the real outlook is far more bleak. Farmers have reported that they don't even receive the official procurement price; some claiming that the tariffs are largely symbolic. One estimate suggests that as little as 10-15% of the income generated by the sale of cotton goes back into agriculture and thus to the farms. Uzbeks are only too aware that their government retains the bulk of profit from the export of cotton. In a recent interview with EJF, one human rights defender explained, "Uzbek cotton is a source of profit of this corrupted mafia".

While the control of Uzbekistan's cotton exports is the preserve of Tashkent's political elite, the responsibility of enforcing cotton production is borne out by the country's regional governors. These officials are appointed directly by President Karimov on the strict understanding that they deliver their region's annual cotton quota as set out by the government. The fulfilment of cotton quotas is central to the regional governors' duties: failure to deliver adequate cotton may result in dismissal.

Knowing that their careers depend upon assured delivery of cotton quotas, and given almost limitless freedom by the regime, governors will often stop at nothing to see that farmers fulfil state quotas. Private farmers are routinely threatened with eviction should they fail to follow the orders of the local administration, and reports of state orchestrated arrests and beatings are now commonplace.

Receiving almost nothing for the cotton they produce, many of Uzbekistan's cotton farmers live in dire poverty. A recent assessment by the World Bank classifies 30.5% of the country's rural population - 4.9 million Uzbeks - as "poor", declaring them "unable to meet their basic consumption needs". Of these, approximately 1.8 million were said to be extremely poor.

Despite producing a commodity which bankrolls the country's regime, and furthers the careers of regional officials, life for the Uzbek cotton farmers is grim. One cotton farmer described his situation as being "like hanging between life and death", explaining, "The government controls our lives very tightly. If we don't obey, we'll end up in trouble. All we want is freedom, and the state is punishing us for wanting freedom".