FRAGMENTED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND THE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES IN UZBEKISTAN

The article examines the structure of agricultural production in Uzbekistan and assesses the potential for developing agricultural cooperatives based on official statistics for 2015–2024 and the regional register of dehqon farms. In 2024, dehqon and household farms accounted for 62.0% of total agricultural output, farmer enterprises for 30.6%, and agricultural organizations for 7.4%. Since 2018, the share of dehqon farms has decreased by 9.2 percentage points, while the share of agricultural organizations has increased 3.2-fold compared with 2017. Small-scale producers continue to play a dominant role in livestock production, with dehqon farms accounting for 87.5% of total output. If 10% of the 395.6 thousand registered dehqon farms voluntarily joined cooperatives, approximately 2.0–5.7 thousand cooperatives could be established. The new legal framework provides a foundation for addressing existing development needs; however, its effective implementation depends on voluntary participation, improved access to financing, and the simplification of administrative procedures.