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THE ROLE OF COTTON PICKING MACHINES AND MACHINE-
BUILDING PLANTS IN UZBEKISTAN DURING THE SOVIET UNION
Choriyev Fazliddin Nasriddinovich
Researcher at the National University of Uzbekistan
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15581117
Annotation:
This article discusses the widespread use of cotton picking
machines in cotton harvesting in Uzbekistan during the Soviet Union, as well as
the role and importance of cotton picking machines and machine-building
plants.
Keywords:
light and food industry, large textile combines, sewing factories,
cotton picking machines, cotton monoculture, mass mechanization of cotton
harvesting, environmental and socio-economic problems.
By the 1950s, Uzbekistan's machine-building plants had increased
production by 16 times compared to 1940, supplying thousands of tractors and
specialized combines. Although this increased productivity and met state quotas,
it led Uzbekistan to become dependent on cotton, causing environmental
disasters (such as the Aral Sea crisis) and long-term economic imbalances. The
expansion of the cotton-growing complex of Uzbekistan played a decisive role in
the economic development of the republic, serving as the basis for the
development of light industry (textiles, clothing) and food processing industries.
“The development of the cotton-growing complex was also of great importance
for the national economy of the republic, contributing to the emergence and
development of light and food industries. 41 percent of the employees in the
republic's industry worked in these industries”
1
. Uzbekistan supported the
economy of the USSR by supplying large quantities of raw cotton. Cotton
processing led to the establishment of large textile mills, garment factories, and
silk production enterprises. Cities such as Tashkent, Fergana, and Bukhara
became centers of the textile and garment industry. Cottonseed oil became the
main product, which was used both domestically and exported throughout the
USSR. By-products of cotton processing were used in the production of animal
feed, soap, and other consumer goods. Hundreds of thousands of workers were
employed in industries related to cotton growing, reducing rural unemployment.
The bulk of textile production (fine fabrics, clothing) was produced outside
Uzbekistan, preserving the republic's role as a supplier of raw materials. “In
order to meet the need for cotton products, the Union directive bodies adopted a
special resolution in February 1946. It strictly demanded an increase in cotton
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production in Uzbekistan by 2.5 times over five years”
2
. This resolution reflected
the Soviet leadership's focus on centralized economic planning and the priority
given to cotton as a major industrial and export commodity. Already a major
cotton-producing region in the USSR, Uzbekistan was expected to play a crucial
role in meeting the USSR's textile and raw material needs.
The decision had far-reaching consequences for Uzbekistan's agricultural
sector and influenced land use, labor policy, and water management in the
region for decades to come. In February 1946, the Soviet leadership decided to
dramatically increase cotton production in Uzbekistan, setting an ambitious goal
of increasing it 2.5 times over five years. This directive was part of a broader
effort to meet the USSR's growing demand for textiles and industrial raw
materials. To achieve this goal, large-scale mechanization was carried out in
Uzbek agriculture. “The use of cotton pickers in cotton harvesting became
widespread (cotton pickers were mastered in 1948), and in 1950, 3,617 tractors
were picking cotton in the fields of the republic”
3
. The introduction of cotton
gins was a major development—first tested in 1948, they were quickly adopted
to speed up the harvest. By 1950, mechanization had reached a significant level.
The shift from manual labor to machinery brought about major changes in
Uzbek farming practices, increasing productivity and cementing the region's role
as the Soviet Union's main cotton supplier. However, the strong focus on cotton
monoculture also had long-term environmental and economic consequences.
During the postwar period of industrialization, Uzbekistan became a major
center for the production of cotton-growing equipment in the Soviet Union.
“Almost all agricultural machinery factories supplying machinery (except
tractors) to cotton-growing regions were located in the Uzbek SSR, and in 1954
the five largest machine-building factories in the republic supplied agriculture
with 16 times more machinery than the entire machine-building industry in
Uzbekistan produced in 1940”
4
. Almost all agricultural machinery used in the
Soviet cotton-growing regions (except tractors) was manufactured in the Uzbek
SSR. The republic's five major machine-building plants achieved a significant 16-
fold increase in production compared to 1940. This industrial expansion
supported the mass mechanization of cotton harvesting. The widespread use of
cotton pickers (first introduced in 1948). The sharp growth of Uzbek
agricultural machinery was directly related to the Soviet Union's 1946 order to
increase cotton production by 2.5 times in five years. This industrial
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transformation fundamentally changed the economic structure of the republic,
creating new environmental and socio-economic problems. In short, during the
Soviet era, Uzbekistan became the cotton powerhouse of the USSR on the basis
of forced mechanization and centralized industrial planning. The mass
production of cotton pickers (since 1948) and agricultural machinery in the
republic made Uzbekistan the primary supplier of cotton for the entire Soviet
Union and the main manufacturer of harvesting equipment.
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