THE STATE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE UZBEK SSR IN 1960–1970

This article provides a historical and theoretical analysis of the state of agricultural development in the Uzbek SSR during 1960–1970, its structural characteristics, and the impact of Soviet agricultural policy on the republic's agriculture. The study primarily focuses on the dominant position of cotton production in the agricultural sector of the republic, the expansion of irrigation and land-reclamation systems, the development of new lands, and the mechanization and chemical intensification of agriculture. In addition to the quantitative growth of agricultural production during the 1960s, the study also examines such problems as the one-sided specialization of agriculture, the reduction of areas allocated to food crops, excessive exploitation of water resources, and the dependence of agricultural production on the centralized planning system. The findings indicate that although technical and irrigation capacities in Uzbek agriculture expanded during 1960–1970, this growth was primarily directed toward increasing the production of raw cotton.