Rus amo a, I oda; P imo , Abdulla; Ka imo , Aziz; Khai o , Bo i ; Ka imo , Akmal
A icle — Published Ve sion
C op Di e si ica ion in he A al Sea Region: Long-Te m
Si ua ion Analysis
Sus ainabili y
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Leibniz Ins i u e o Ag icul u al De elopmen in T ansi ion Economies (IAMO), Halle (Saale)
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Rus amo a, I oda; P imo , Abdulla; Ka imo , Aziz; Khai o , Bo i ; Ka imo , Akmal
(2023) : C op Di e si ica ion in he A al Sea Region: Long-Te m Si ua ion Analysis, Sus ainabili y,
ISSN 2071-1050, MDPI, Basel, Vol. 15, Iss. 13,
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Ci a ion: Rus amo a, I.; P imo , A.;
Ka imo , A.; Khai o , B.; Ka imo , A.
C op Di e si ica ion in he A al Sea
Region: Long-Te m Si ua ion
Analysis. Sus ainabili y 2023,15,
10221. h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/
su151310221
Academic Edi o : Pio P us
Recei ed: 11 Ap il 2023
Re ised: 12 June 2023
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sus ainabili y
A icle
C op Di e si ica ion in he A al Sea Region: Long-Te m
Si ua ion Analysis
I oda Rus amo a 1, Abdulla P imo 2, Aziz Ka imo 3, Bo i Khai o 3,* and Akmal Ka imo 4
1Depa men o Ag oeconomics and Tou ism, Tashken S a e Ag a ian Uni e si y,
Tashken 100140, Uzbekis an; [email p o ec ed]u
2Depa men o Ag o-Economics, In e na ional Ag icul u e Uni e si y, Tashken 111200, Uzbekis an;
[email p o ec ed]
3In e na ional Cen e o Biosaline Ag icul u e, Regional O ice o Cen al Asia and he Sou h Caucasus,
Tashken 100084, Uzbekis an; [email p o ec ed]
4Depa men o Ecology and Wa e Resou ces Managemen , Tashken Ins i u e o I iga ion and Ag icul u al
Mechaniza ion Enginee s, Tashken 100000, Uzbekis an
*Co espondence: [email p o ec ed]g.ae
Abs ac :
Ag icul u e con ibu es he mos o he economy and p o ides ag o-ecological bene i s
in he en i onmen ally unsus ainable A al Sea egion, bu i s p oduc i i y is s eadily d opping. To
imp o e he esilience o a ming communi ies in he egion, c op di e si ica ion is p oposed o
enable a me s o g ow high- alue compe i i e c ops and ob ain mo e s able a m incomes. This s udy
p o ides long- e m, mul idisciplina y analyses and s a egies o s eng hening c op di e si ica ion
amongs a me s in he A al Sea egion. The s udy analyzed da a p o ided by he Minis y o
Ag icul u e o he Republic o Uzbekis an and he s a is ical yea book o 2000–2020. Acco ding o
he g oss ma gin s udy indings, a me s who use di e si ied c opping sys ems made conside ably
highe e enues han a me s elying on mono-c opping p ac ices. This s udy demons a es ha
g ea e c op di e si y con ibu es o he a ional use o na u al esou ces and op imiza ion plans,
en i onmen al sus ainabili y, and ood secu i y as impo an na u al and socio-economic issues in his
egion. The s udy indings sugges ha p ope c op di e si ica ion s a egies need o be de eloped
in he A al Sea egion o imp o e he sus ainabili y o a ming sys ems wi h enhanced esilience o
de as a ing en i onmen al and clima e challenges.
Keywo ds:
ag icul u e; A al Sea egion; c op di e si ica ion; a me s’ income; g oss ma gin; Simpson
Index; s ess en i onmen
1. In oduc ion
Ag icul u e plays an essen ial ole in he o e all socio-economic condi ions o
he A al Sea egion in e ms o ood secu i y, employmen , and u al li elihoods [
1
].
Howe e , he e a e many cons ain s o managing sus ainable ag icul u e in his a ea,
including c i ical ac o s such as inc eased soil salini y, wa e de ici s, and clima e
a iabili y. Fu he mo e, he A al Sea d ying up exace ba ed inc easing soil salini y,
land deg ada ion, and clima e change, damaging ag icul u al sys ems and causing
unsus ainable c op p oduc ion. The impac o his clima ic change was e y disas ous,
leading o he des uc ion o he whole ecosys em’s li e cycle [
2
]. As a esul , many
a me s and u al households a e s uggling wi h declining ag icul u al p oduc ion,
ood and nu i ion insecu i y, and income ola ili y.
Du ing he So ie Union, co on was he main c op cul i a ed in his egion. F om
he beginning o he coun y’s independence in 1991, he na ional adminis a ion decided
o o a e co on wi h win e whea o inc ease na ional ood sel -su iciency and mo e
away om co on monocul u e. The p oduc ion o hese c ops accoun ed o 70% o
he o al cul i a ed a ea and 34% o g oss ag icul u al ou pu . Bo h win e whea and
Sus ainabili y 2023,15, 10221. h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/su151310221 h ps://www.mdpi.com/jou nal/sus ainabili y
Sus ainabili y 2023,15, 10221 2 o 12
co on we e subjec o s a e p ocu emen and s a e- egula ed p o isioning o inpu s un il
Ma ch 2020. Addi ionally, he s a e planning sys em has only been e ained o hese
c ops, whils ui s and ege ables ob ained less policy a en ion in e ms o he lack o
a s a e p ocu emen sys em [
3
]. The coun y has succeeded in g adually mo ing away
om a co on monocul u e owa ds a mo e di e si ied pa e n o ag icul u al p oduc ion,
including ce eals, po a oes, ege ables, and melons [
4
]. S ill, highe - alue c ops, such as
ui s and ege ables, we e cons ained by limi ed access o land, inpu s, mode n c op-
speci ic echnologies, and inance, which a e he mos impo an equi emen s o c op
di e si ica ion and ood secu i y [5].
The na ional adminis a ion planned o unde ake new s uc u al e o ms and di e si-
ica ion in ag icul u e, mo e p oduc i e use o land and wa e , imp o ed mechaniza ion
and in as uc u e de elopmen , ag ibusiness de elopmen , and mo e ma ke -o ien ed
ag icul u al policies [
6
]. Fa me s we e encou aged o use la ge pa s o hei a ms o
cul i a ing ege ables, bu he e is s ill a long way o go o each he igh balance o c op
o a ion [
7
]. Especially in he p e-u ban zones, hei sha e has been inc eased. The e o e,
c op di e si y plays an essen ial ole in sus ainable ag icul u e and can be an e ec i e ool
o help a me s deal wi h se e al ypes o isks [
8
]. Kemboi (2020) s essed he impo ance
o c op di e si ica ion in shi ing o highly p o i able c ops and inc easing expo s o ui s
and ege ables h ough changing c op pa e ns [
9
]. Feliciano (2019) ela ed c op di e si i-
ca ion as a d i e ha ensu es mo e p o i able c op o a ions [
10
], he eby sus aining soil
e ili y and c op p oduc i i y e en in ha sh en i onmen al condi ions. C op di e si ica ion
se es as a echnique o boos ing ag icul u al income, c ea ing jobs, educing po e y, and
p o ec ing soil and wa e esou ces.
The esul s o he p e ious s udies emphasized ha mos o he achie emen s in
co on and whea p oduc ion a e based on high-inpu use echnologies such as wa e , seeds,
e ilize s, and pes icides, which a e no sus ainable on a long- e m basis [
4
]. Fu he mo e,
he a ea a ailable o high- alue al e na i e c ops is e y limi ed despi e high economic
and ecological po en ial [
11
]. Depending on cu en ag icul u al s a egies, c op p oduce s
p e e o implemen esou ce-conse ing echnologies which ensu e educing soil illage
p ac ices, wa e used o i iga ion, and he use o ha m ul ag ochemicals [
12
]. Hence, i
is c ucial o look o a sui able and ealis ic s a egy by which c opping in ensi y could
be enhanced and di e si ica ion achie ed. Limi ed s udies ocus on c opping sys ems’
di e si ica ion in he A al Sea egion, despi e i s en i onmen al p o ec ion and es o a ion
unc ions. Thus, i is impo an o exhibi he signi icance o c op di e si ica ion and p o ide
addi ional comp ehensi e unde s anding o he s a us and ex en o c op di e si ica ion
acco ding o a long- e m (2000–2020) si ua ion analysis.
2. Ma e ials and Me hods
2.1. Desc ip ion o S udy A eas
As shown in Figu e 1, Ka akalpaks an is loca ed in he no hwes o Uzbekis an and
is si ua ed a a la i ude and longi ude be ween 42.27
◦
N and 58.75
◦
E. Mos o his egion
is occupied by he Kyzylkum dese , and he e o e i has a ha sh win e , wi h pe iodic
absolu e minimum ai empe a u es o
−
10.3
◦
C and lowe in Decembe and Janua y.
Summe , on he o he hand, is exceedingly ho . The summe ime empe a u e ange is
26.3 o 32.0
◦
C, wi h a maximum o 41.0 o 45.3
◦
C. The d ying o he A al Sea has shown
an ad e se impac on na u al ecosys ems, which is being exace ba ed by clima e change,
u he de e io a ing he en i onmen al si ua ion. Conc e ely, ain all has become much
less (less han 100 mm), along wi h ex eme highe ai empe a u es in summe (abo e
+45
◦
C) and lowe in win e (below
−
22
◦
C). This anomalous clima ic change has con-
ibu ed o dese i ica ion o he a ea and in asion by sand.
Sus ainabili y 2023,15, 10221 3 o 12
Sus ainabili y 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 o 12
Figu e 1. Map o he s udy a ea. Sou ce: h p://you ee empla es.com Au ho ’s illus a ion (ac-
cessed on 12 Ma ch 2023).
2.2. Da a Sou ce
The s udy used seconda y da a o he pe iod 2000–2020. The seconda y da a we e
collec ed om he Minis y o Ag icul u e and Uzbekis an’s Na ional S a is ical Agency’s
s a is ical yea book. The da a di e in e ms o he way c opland da a we e ga he ed. Ta-
ble 1 shows he land alloca ion o di e en c ops in Ka akalpaks an o measu e he di e -
si ica ion index.
Table 1. A able land alloca ion in he Republic o Ka akalpaks an, 2000–2020 ( housand/ha).
Whea Co on Po a o Vege ables Melons Fodde F ui s G apes Rice Legumes
2000 38.3 129.8 1.8 7.3 7.2 72.7 4.6 0.4 60.1 0.4
2001 23.4 83.4 1.3 4.6 5.6 38.7 4.1 0.4 47.3 0.2
2002 18.3 74.1 1.3 5.1 5.8 38.2 3.7 0.4 24.1 0.5
2003 61.1 91.5 1.5 5.8 6.4 39.6 3.6 0.3 64.7 0.4
2004 58.7 102.9 1.9 5.5 5.6 34.2 3.5 0.3 26.2 1.0
2005 61.0 104.0 2.1 5.1 4.4 34.7 3.8 0.4 13.8 1.8
2006 64.1 106.7 2.1 7.3 5.3 32.4 4.5 0.5 22.8 1.3
2007 64.3 106.2 2.2 7.4 5.0 24.3 4.6 0.5 15.5 1.1
2008 64.8 102.8 2.9 8.7 6.5 23.3 4.6 0.5 9.1 0.7
2009 38.2 99.8 3.4 8.2 7.3 24.0 4.6 0.5 11.7 0.7
2010 66.7 101.0 6.0 6.8 5.9 35.9 4.6 0.5 30.1 0.7
2011 65.1 94.7 4.6 7.2 6.9 27.4 5.2 0.5 3.1 0.8
2012 64.2 94.7 5.1 8.5 7.8 24.1 5.2 0.6 39.5 0.7
2013 68.5 94.7 4.9 9.8 9.5 23.2 5.6 0.6 9.5 1.1
2014 64.4 94.7 4.3 10.5 9.2 22.6 5.6 0.7 10.7 0.9
2015 64.3 95.9 4.2 10.5 9.2 20.8 5.6 0.8 32.3 0.9
2016 64.4 94.4 4.4 10.9 10.6 22.3 5.5 0.8 34.5 2.6
Figu e 1.
Map o he s udy a ea. Sou ce: h p://you ee empla es.com Au ho ’s illus a ion
(accessed on 12 Ma ch 2023).
2.2. Da a Sou ce
The s udy used seconda y da a o he pe iod 2000–2020. The seconda y da a we e
collec ed om he Minis y o Ag icul u e and Uzbekis an’s Na ional S a is ical Agency’s
s a is ical yea book. The da a di e in e ms o he way c opland da a we e ga he ed.
Table 1shows he land alloca ion o di e en c ops in Ka akalpaks an o measu e he
di e si ica ion index.
Table 1. A able land alloca ion in he Republic o Ka akalpaks an, 2000–2020 ( housand/ha).
Whea Co on Po a o Vege ables Melons Fodde F ui s G apes Rice Legumes
2000 38.3 129.8 1.8 7.3 7.2 72.7 4.6 0.4 60.1 0.4
2001 23.4 83.4 1.3 4.6 5.6 38.7 4.1 0.4 47.3 0.2
2002 18.3 74.1 1.3 5.1 5.8 38.2 3.7 0.4 24.1 0.5
2003 61.1 91.5 1.5 5.8 6.4 39.6 3.6 0.3 64.7 0.4
2004 58.7 102.9 1.9 5.5 5.6 34.2 3.5 0.3 26.2 1.0
2005 61.0 104.0 2.1 5.1 4.4 34.7 3.8 0.4 13.8 1.8
2006 64.1 106.7 2.1 7.3 5.3 32.4 4.5 0.5 22.8 1.3
2007 64.3 106.2 2.2 7.4 5.0 24.3 4.6 0.5 15.5 1.1
2008 64.8 102.8 2.9 8.7 6.5 23.3 4.6 0.5 9.1 0.7
2009 38.2 99.8 3.4 8.2 7.3 24.0 4.6 0.5 11.7 0.7
2010 66.7 101.0 6.0 6.8 5.9 35.9 4.6 0.5 30.1 0.7
2011 65.1 94.7 4.6 7.2 6.9 27.4 5.2 0.5 3.1 0.8
2012 64.2 94.7 5.1 8.5 7.8 24.1 5.2 0.6 39.5 0.7
2013 68.5 94.7 4.9 9.8 9.5 23.2 5.6 0.6 9.5 1.1
2014 64.4 94.7 4.3 10.5 9.2 22.6 5.6 0.7 10.7 0.9
2015 64.3 95.9 4.2 10.5 9.2 20.8 5.6 0.8 32.3 0.9
2016 64.4 94.4 4.4 10.9 10.6 22.3 5.5 0.8 34.5 2.6
2017 64.3 94.0 4.8 11.3 12.3 23.4 5.5 1.5 36.1 3.1
2018 63.0 88.6 5.1 14.1 10.1 20.3 5.2 1.2 14.8 2.3
2019 60.4 88.3 6.1 15.5 12.0 23.0 5.9 1.4 37.4 3.1
2020 62.0 87.5 6.8 16.3 11.8 23.6 6.3 1.6 27.9 4.6
Sou ce: S a is ical yea book o he Republic o Uzbekis an.
Sus ainabili y 2023,15, 10221 4 o 12
2.3. Measu emen o C op Di e si ica ion
The s a us o c op di e si ica ion can be measu ed in se e al ways, including he
Shannon Index, En opy Index, Modi ied En opy Index, and Simpson Index [
8
,
13
]. Each o
hese economic ools has i s own d awbacks and limi a ions ega ding da a equi emen s.
This s udy used he S a a 16 so wa e ool o es ima e he di e si y index. C op di e si y
was calcula ed using he Simpson Di e si y Index (SDI) equa ion since i is he mos
commonly used index in nume ous s udies ela ed o c op di e si ica ion [
13
]. TSDI is
calcula ed using he ollowing equa ion:
SDI =1−
n
∑
i=1
P2
i(1)
Pi=
Ai
∑n
i=1Ai
(2)
whe e
Ai
is he a ea unde i h c op and
Pi
is he o al c opped a ea. The index is bound
be ween ze o and one alue. The alues close o 1 poin a a mo e di e si ied c opping
pa e n o comple e di e si ica ion and hose close o 0 indica e a con as o a si ua ion
o monocul u e.
2.4. G oss Ma gin Analysis
G oss ma gin analysis is a s aigh o wa d way o con as ing businesses’ pe o mance
wi h compa able capi al and labo . I o e s da a along wi h an ex a planning ool o assis
in compa ing possibili ies amongs a ious a m ope a ions. G oss ma gin is de ined as:
GM = TR −TVC
which is he di e ence be ween o al e enue and a iable cos s.
TVC s ands o o al a iable cos s, TR o o al e enue (g oss ou pu ), and GM o
g oss ma gin. In o de o assess whe he he ag icul u al sys em would be mo e luc a i e
in he nea e m, a me s who pa icipa ed in a ious c opping sys ems we e compa ed
wi h hose who did no . The use o g oss ma gin analysis is dependen on a numbe o
alues; in his example, all p ices we e hose in e ec a he ime o p oduc ion.
3. Resul s
3.1. C op Di e si ica ion S a us
F om he ea ly 2000s, co on p oduc ion began o decline in Ka akalpaks an, and
land was ans o med o mo e nu ien -sensi i e ui s and ege ables as he go e nmen
accep ed a na ional p og am o in ensi y he p oduc ion o ui s and ege ables o mee he
g owing demand. This is e iden om publicly a ailable o icial da a demons a ing he
g ow h in po a o, oma o, and ui ga dening p oduc ion bo h a he egional and na ional
le el (Table 1).
Nowadays, co on and whea p oduc ion s ill occupy he majo i y o land: 38.5% and
54.4%, espec i ely. Po a o is g own on 4.2%, ege ables on 10.1%, melon on 7.3%, odde
on 14.7%, and ice on 17.3%, while legumes a e cul i a ed on only 2.9% o all a ailable
i iga ed lands in his egion.
Despi e he ice p oduc ion a ea dec easing mo e han wo imes due o wa e sho age
since 1991, he legume a ea is slowly inc easing.
Whea is an impo an c op in Ka akalpaks an and i s p oduc ion a ea has g own
conside ably due o i s po en ial o ood secu i y in he egion. Whea has been pa o
p og ams in suppo o di e si ica ion and seed p oduc ion o enhance he p oduc i i y o
sal -a ec ed lands and o inc ease he income o u al people. Simila ly, on- a m esul s
ecommend legumes as a second c op a e whea ha es , as well as in ice c op o a ion,
in o de o ill he gap in a m p oduc i i y and c op–li es ock sys ems. Howe e , oppo u-
ni ies o legumes and he de elopmen o hei alue chain in Ka akalpaks an go beyond

Sus ainabili y 2023,15, 10221 5 o 12
suppo ing p oduc ion sys ems a ec ed by hea , d ough , and salini y, and include he
p oduc ion o oods and be e ages.
In Ka akalpaks an, he de elopmen o c op di e si ica ion h ough inno a i e alue-
added c ops equi es esea ch, ma ke ing, poli ical suppo , and s ong collabo a ion
be ween he p i a e and public sec o s and has a g ea alue. The le el o c op di e si-
ica ion is p esen ed in Figu e 2. In addi ion, indings in his s udy e eal ha he mean
Simpson Index wi hin he sample o a me s declined up o 0.68 in 2008 and 2009. This
implies ha he a me s in he s udy a eas we e no oo di e si ied in hei c opping pa e n
in 2000.
Sus ainabili y 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 o 12
Despi e he ice p oduc ion a ea dec easing mo e han wo imes due o wa e sho -
age since 1991, he legume a ea is slowly inc easing.
Whea is an impo an c op in Ka akalpaks an and i s p oduc ion a ea has g own
conside ably due o i s po en ial o ood secu i y in he egion. Whea has been pa o
p og ams in suppo o di e si ica ion and seed p oduc ion o enhance he p oduc i i y
o sal -a ec ed lands and o inc ease he income o u al people. Simila ly, on- a m esul s
ecommend legumes as a second c op a e whea ha es , as well as in ice c op o a ion,
in o de o ill he gap in a m p oduc i i y and c op–li es ock sys ems. Howe e , oppo -
uni ies o legumes and he de elopmen o hei alue chain in Ka akalpaks an go be-
yond suppo ing p oduc ion sys ems a ec ed by hea , d ough , and salini y, and include
he p oduc ion o oods and be e ages.
In Ka akalpaks an, he de elopmen o c op di e si ica ion h ough inno a i e
alue-added c ops equi es esea ch, ma ke ing, poli ical suppo , and s ong collabo a-
ion be ween he p i a e and public sec o s and has a g ea alue. The le el o c op di e -
si ica ion is p esen ed in Figu e 2. In addi ion, indings in his s udy e eal ha he mean
Simpson Index wi hin he sample o a me s declined up o 0.68 in 2008 and 2009. This
implies ha he a me s in he s udy a eas we e no oo di e si ied in hei c opping pa -
e n in 2000.
Figu e 2. The mean c op di e si ica ion index in Ka akalpaks an, (yea s 2000–2020). Sou ce: Au-
ho s’ calcula ion based on da a.
While he c op di e si ica ion index was 0.73 in 2000 and i inc eased up o 0.76 in
2003, sha p dec ease was obse ed he ollowing yea s, declining up o 0.68 in 2009. This
sugges s ha he a me s in he s udy a eas we e no oo di e si ied in hei c opping
pa e ns. S a ing om 2010, c op di e si ica ion began o de elop again and eached 0.76
in 2016–2017. In 2020, his pa ame e eached 0.78— he highes alue e e obse ed. Ac-
co ding o his, a me s in Ka akalpaks an ha e become mo e di e si ied in hei c opping
pa e ns o e he pas ew yea s. These esul s imply ha he a me s p ac icing di e si-
ied a ming could see bene i s o he c op di e si ica ion p ac ice.
C op di e si ica ion is a key po en ial s a egy o imp o ing inclusi e household
ood secu i y in his egion. The e o e, he go e nmen o Uzbekis an has emphasized
c op di e si ica ion, which may gene a e alue addi ion h ough enhanced ag icul u al
0.73
0.74
0.73
0.76
0.72
0.7
0.71
0.69
0.68 0.68
0.74
0.69
0.75
0.71
0.72
0.74
0.76 0.76
0.74
0.78 0.78
0.62
0.64
0.66
0.68
0.7
0.72
0.74
0.76
0.78
0.8
Figu e 2.
The mean c op di e si ica ion index in Ka akalpaks an, (yea s 2000–2020). Sou ce: Au ho s’
calcula ion based on da a.
While he c op di e si ica ion index was 0.73 in 2000 and i inc eased up o 0.76 in
2003, sha p dec ease was obse ed he ollowing yea s, declining up o 0.68 in 2009. This
sugges s ha he a me s in he s udy a eas we e no oo di e si ied in hei c opping pa e ns.
S a ing om 2010, c op di e si ica ion began o de elop again and eached 0.76 in 2016–2017.
In 2020, his pa ame e eached 0.78— he highes alue e e obse ed. Acco ding o his,
a me s in Ka akalpaks an ha e become mo e di e si ied in hei c opping pa e ns o e
he pas ew yea s. These esul s imply ha he a me s p ac icing di e si ied a ming
could see bene i s o he c op di e si ica ion p ac ice.
C op di e si ica ion is a key po en ial s a egy o imp o ing inclusi e household
ood secu i y in his egion. The e o e, he go e nmen o Uzbekis an has emphasized
c op di e si ica ion, which may gene a e alue addi ion h ough enhanced ag icul u al
p oduc i i y, ood secu i y, and income g ow h. Nowadays, ood secu i y and sus ainabili y
issues gene ally depend on app op ia e policy implemen a ion. Ye , i is assumed ha
elde ly a me s ha e expe ience and he oppo uni y o pa icipa e in di e si ied a ming.
Addi ionally, younge a me s end o di e si y because hey a e mo e dynamic and ac i e
enough o engage in p oduc i e ag icul u e.
3.2. C op P oduc i i y
The esul s in Table 2show ha he land alloca ed o whea p oduc ion aised six
imes since 1991, om 10.5 housand hec a es o 62 housand hec a es. In addi ion, ui s’
Sus ainabili y 2023,15, 10221 6 o 12
p oduc ion a ea doubled, and ege able-co e ed land also inc eased 2.5 imes. On he
con a y, co on p oduc ion a ea dec eased almos wo imes, om 149.6 housand hec a es
in 1991 o 87.5 housand hec a es in 2020.
Table 2. T ends on a ea and p oduc i i y o c ops in Ka akalpaks an, 1991–2020.
Whea Co on F ui s In ensi e O cha ds Vege ables
Yea s A ea,
‘000 ha
Yield,
/ha
A ea,
‘000 ha
Yield,
/ha
A ea,
‘000 ha
Yield,
/ha
A ea,
‘000 ha
Yield,
/ha
A ea,
‘000 ha
Yield,
/ha
1991 10.5 0.29 149.6 0.18 3.0 0.14 0 0 7.0 0.09
2000 38.3 0.43 129.8 1.16 4.6 0.52 0 0 7.3 0.22
2010 66.7 0.33 100.1 0.52 4.6 3.15 2.1 0.22 6.7 0.87
2015 64.2 0.81 95.7 1.68 5.6 4.12 2.9 0.41 10.4 1.56
2020 62.0 1.15 87.5 1.91 6.3 5.52 4.2 1.12 16.9 2.11
Sou ce: S a is ical yea book o he Republic o Uzbekis an.
This s udy showed ha he whea g ain yield boos ed 1.15 on pe hec a e in 2020,
while his indica o was only 0.29 on pe hec a e in 1991. No ably, he p oduc ion a ea
and yield o in ensi e o cha ds and ege ables a e conside ably enhanced, e en hough
hey a e he high- alued c ops in he egion. Majo c op p oduce s a e e me s and dehkan
a me s, also small landowne s ac i ely engage in p ocessing ac i i ies. Popula c ops
include g ains, seeds (e.g., sesame), ege ables (e.g., oma o), and ui s.
In o de o close he p oduc ion gap in a ms and c op–li es ock sys ems in u al
communi ies in sal y dese se ings, on- a m da a show ha g ain–legume c ops we e
sugges ed as a second c op (mid-June o ea ly July) a e win e whea ha es , as well as in
ice c op o a ion. Ye , he po en ial o hese quick-g owing g ains and legumes as well as
he g ow h o hei alue chain in Ka akalpaks an go beyond assis ing ag icul u al sys ems
ha a e impac ed by sal , hea , and d ough .
3.3. Economic Bene i s
P esen ly, ag icul u al commodi ies p oduced in Ka akalpaks an ha e a g ea alue,
as hey a e used o bo h ood and eed pu poses. Acco ding o he indings o he g oss
ma gin analysis, smallholde a me s who use a ious c opping sys ems ha e g ea e
incomes han a me s who ely on mono-c opping p ac ices. The wo mos impo an c ops
a med in Ka akalpakis an a e by a co on and whea in e ms o a ea. Rice, odde c ops,
oma oes, ca o s, and po a oes all g ow in smalle spaces. Al hough o cha ds occupy
a smalle a ea han whea and co on, Ka akalpakis an’s cu en clima ic condi ions a e
conduci e o he inc ease in hei p oduc ion a ea.
Table 2shows ha win e whea and co on a e he wo p ima y c ops in many
Ka akalpaks ani a eas. Some a me s g ow sun lowe , so ghum, sesame, and ice. Double
c opping is no used, hough. Legume c ops in he cycle would ha e gained alue due o
imp o ed soil quali y and di icul ies wi h ood secu i y. The e o e, he e is plen y o oom
o boos yields, o example, by employing bed plan ing echniques. Swi ching om g ains
o highe - alue commodi ies such as ui s and ege ables is also possible.
Table 3compa es he g oss ma gins o a me s who a e di e si ying and hose who a e
no . The o al g oss ou pu alues o whea and co on we e ound o be UZS 15,145,000 and
19,044,000, espec i ely, whe eas po a o p oduc ion wi h li le high o al a iable cos
b ough wo imes mo e e enue (UZS 43,040,000). Howe e , he highes income was
ice a ming wi h UZS 90,440,000, ollowed by ineya d p oduc ion wi h UZS 58,310,000.
Addi ionally, he a ge a ea may be compe i i e in a a ie y o ag icul u al p oduc s,
including win e whea and ba ley, legumes, ege ables, and ui s, as well as p ocessing
ag icul u al c ops.
Sus ainabili y 2023,15, 10221 7 o 12
Table 3. G oss ma gin analysis o di e en ypes o c ops.
Va iables Whea Co on Po a o Vege ables Melons Fodde F ui s Vineya d Rice Legumes
A . Yield 2330 2070 13,450 8500 18,900 16,000 18,500 23,800 32,300 1780
A . P ice 6500 8200 3200 2800 1470 1260 1340 2450 2800 8500
To al G oss
Ou pu 15,145,000 19,044,000 43,040,000 23,800,000 27,783,000 20,016,000 24,790,00 58,310,000 90,440,000 15,130,000
A . Cos o
seeds/seedlings 1,350,000 682,000 6,700,000 3,660,000 2,450,000 2,240,000 2,450,000 6,700,000 14,500,000 1,450,000
A . Cos o
e ilize s 2,225,000 3,250,000 4,350,000 4,350,000 4,450,000 3,750,000 3,800,000 4,500,000 6,700,000 2,500,000
A . Cos o
labo 2,455,000 5,600,000 3,250,000 4,680,000 5,400,000 3,700,000 4,500,000 3,450,000 13,500,000 2,350,000
Cos o
ag ochemicals 3,350,000 3,860,000 4,250,000 3,240,000 4,890,000 2,700,000 3,760,000 4,250,000 8,500,000 2,500,000
Consumables 2,500,000 3,250,000 5,400,000 4,700,000 4,350,000 3,150,000 4,400,000 5,400,000 25,800,000 2,500,000
To al Va iable
Cos 11,880,000 16,642,000 23,950,000 19,630,000 21,540,000 15,750,000 18,910,000 23,600,000 68,200,000 11,300,000
G oss Ma gins 3,265,000 2,402,000 19,090,000 4,170,000 6,243,000 4,266,000 5,880,000 34,710,000 22,240,000 3,830,000
1 USD is equal 11,400 USZ acco ding o he Cen al Bank o he Republic o Uzbekis an o Ap il 2023.
To achie e ood secu i y, he mos e ec i e and a o dable p oduc ion and p ocessing
echniques mus be ound in e ms o ood po en ial. To c ea e a iable bio e ine y and
inclusi e p oduc ion models, close collabo a ion be ween he public and comme cial
sec o s is bo h ad ised and encou aged du ing his p ocess. Many u al households a e
compelled o ely on hei ag icul u al p oduc ion o oods g own nea by o mee hei
nu i ional needs because o he egion’s inadequa e in as uc u e, high anspo a ion
cos s, and isola ion. C op di e si y can be a signi ican way o lowe ood insecu i y unde
ce ain ci cums ances.
Meanwhile, a ious componen s o p o i abili y c ea ed by each ype o c op p oduced
by a me s, e u n on capi al, and labo we e also employed. Fo each o m o c op a ming,
e u ns o labo we e es ima ed by di iding g oss ma gin by labo expenses pe hec a e, and
e u ns o capi al we e de e mined by di iding g oss ma gin by o al a iable cos (TVC)
pe ac e. Table 4summa izes he indings. Re u n on a me s’ capi al o ineya d (1.47)
was g ea e han ha o o he ypes o c ops cul i a ed by a me s, whe eas i was 0.80,
0.34, 0.33, 0.31, 0.29, and 0.27 o po a oes, legumes, ice, ui s, melons, whea , and odde .
Table 4. Re u ns o capi al and labo .
C ops A e age GM
UZS/ha
Labo Cos
UZS/ha
To al
Va iable
Cos UZS/ha
Re u n o
Labo
(GM/L.Cos )
Re u n
Capi al
(GM/TVC)
Whea 3,265,000 2,455,000 11,880,000 1.33 0.27
Co on 2,402,000 5,600,000 16,642,000 0.43 0.14
Po a o 19,090,000 3,250,000 23,950,000 5.87 0.80
Vege ables 4,170,000 4,680,000 19,630,000 0.89 0.21
Melons 6,243,000 5,400,000 21,540,000 1.16 0.29
Fodde 4,266,000 3,700,000 15,750,000 1.15 0.27
F ui s 5,880,000 4,500,000 18,910,000 1.31 0.31
Vineya d 34,710,000 3,450,000 23,600,000 10.06 1.47
Rice 22,240,000 13,500,000 68,200,000 1.65 0.33
Legumes 3,830,000 2,350,000 11,300,000 1.63 0.34
Compa ed wi h po a o, legumes, ice, and ui s, co on had a lesse e u n on capi al
(0.14); acco dingly, i had he smalles g oss ma gin (0.43). Because hey ha e highe o al
Sus ainabili y 2023,15, 10221 8 o 12
a iable cos s han co on, ineya d, po a o, ice, and melon a ming had a high e u n on
capi al. In addi ion, whe eas co on is a long-season c op, he o he h ee a e sho -season
c ops. As a esul , i was an icipa ed ha o e all a iable cos s o he sho p oduc ion
season o po a oes, legumes, and ice would be lowe .
Re u n on labo o p oducing ineya d was 10.06, ollowed by po a oes (5.87),
ice (1.65), legumes (1.63), whea (1.33), ui s (1.31), and melons (1.16). In e ms o bo h
e u n on capi al and e u n on labo , co on was he wo s . This was b ough on by a
low g oss ma gin (2,402,000) b ough on by a low yield om he use o con en ional seed
selec ion, as well as a highe labo cos o UZS 5,600,000 pe hec a e.
Maximum ewa ds we e ea ned by a me s who g ew mo e han h ee c ops. Po a o,
legume, and ice p oduc ion oge he p oduced a p o i ma gin o UZS 103,450,000. When
compa ed wi h cul i a ing one c op, such as po a o o ice, which p oduces UZS 19,090,000 and
22,240,000 pe hec a e, espec i ely, hese c ops gene a e an a e age g oss ma gin/hec a e
o UZS 41,330,000 (Table 4).
These indings demons a e ha a me s may maximize hei ea nings by engaging in
a di e si ied c opping sys em. As a esul o Ka akalpak’s seasonali y and a ying ain all
pa e ns, i also helps a me s o dis ibu e isk in he e en ha one o hei ag icul u al
en u es ails.
4. Discussion
Among he majo p oblems ha a ec a me s’ li elihoods in he A al Sea egions
a e income a iabili y, ood a ailabili y, and nu i ional ins abili y [
14
]. Mo eo e , soil
saliniza ion, pe sis en wea he deg ada ion, poo wa e quali y, and lack o wa e esou ces
a e he mos signi ican isks expe ienced by a me s o acili a e p ope c op di e si ica ion.
I was ound ha a a me wi h h ee o mo e di e en c op ypes p oduces conside ably
highe e enue han mono-c opping a ming [
15
]. A e independence in 1991, he a ea o
co on plan a ions has been signi ican ly educed owa ds an inc ease in whea in o de o
each highe ood secu i y. Howe e , i should be no ed ha s ess- ole an and high- alue
c ops ha e many ad an ages. I is impossible o deny ha mos a me s in he egion ollow
a uni o m c opping pa e n a he han shi ing c op di e si ica ion. Ne e heless, he
combina ion o sho - and long-du a ion c ops, he use o mode n ha es ing and s o age
echnologies o main ain con inuous p oduc ion, and he use o phased loan disbu semen
in he o m o inpu s, among o he echniques o imp o e c op di e si y, a e necessa y o
mi iga e his isk.
Acco ding o he undamen al ule, c ops should ideally no ollow each o he in c op
o a ion. Con inuous c opping (mono-c opping) o any c op leads o he accumula ion
o pes s and illnesses unique o ha c op and lowe c op yields. I s e ec will be la ge
he mo e imes a c op has been p oduced he e in he pas . Fo ins ance, i is becoming
mo e ypical o cul i a e co on and whea o wo o mo e yea s. The inc eased sp ead
o co on boll wee ils has mos likely been he esul o consecu i e co on-g owing yea s.
In o de o enhance pes , wa e , and nu ien managemen , i is equi ed o s udy mode n
land managemen echniques including conse a ion ag icul u e, legume in e c opping,
ag o o es y, and o ganic a ming [16].
The soils o Ka akalpaks an a e becoming mo e p one o e osion as a esul o he
inc eased numbe o yea s o co on in he c opping cycle. The s uc u e o he soils in co on–
whea c op cycles is ge ing wo se because he e a e no any o ganic e u ns o he soil.
Fo una ely, co on’s sha e o he o e all i iga ed land has dec eased since 2000, whe eas
win e whea ’s a ea expanded (Table 1). I whea is p oduced on sal y soils, swi ching o
sesame will be ad an ageous since sesame is mo e sal - and d ough - ole an . G owing ice
is a di e en choice o sal y soils, al hough i equi es mo e i iga ion wa e [
17
]. In o de
o imp o e he p oduc i i y o sal -a ec ed ields, so ghum as a d ough - and sal - ole an
c op can be inco po a ed in o ag icul u al p og ams ha encou age c op di e si ica ion [
18
].
So ghum is a unique cash c op and al eady adap ed ce eal; i has mo e han 2000 yea s
o his o y in his egion [
19
]. So ghum’s ad an ageous ai s migh be s essed, such as