00:02uzbekistan has announced that it harvested more than 5 million tons of raw cotton this year
00:07its largest crop since independence in 1991 that is around a quarter more than last year and above
00:14the government's target of 4.5 million tons according to the government the area planted
00:19with cotton has been reduced by 38 percent while average yields have more than doubled machines
00:25peaked 85 percent of this year's harvest building on this year's record president shavkat murdiyoev has
00:32set a target of raising average cotton yields further in 2027. the country is also expanding
00:38domestic processing turning more of its cotton into fabrics and clothing rather than exporting raw
00:43fiber for decades uzbekistan's cotton harvest relied on compulsory labor in 2022 the international
01:05labor organization confirmed that systematic first and child labor had been eliminated
01:11cotton cultivation also carries environmental costs the government is now promoting water
01:16saving technologies and changes to soil management
01:20the goal is to raise average yields from 5.6 tons per hectare this year to between
01:406.5 and 7 in 2027 using improved seeds drones and water saving technologies
