Uzbekistan to End Hand-Picked Cotton by 2027: What It Means for Suppliers

What happened

Uzbekistan plans to stop hand-picking cotton entirely from 2027. The Minister of Agriculture announced this, as reported by Gazeta.uz. This season, machines covered 75–80% of the area, and in two regions mechanization reached 100%. About 53,000 hectares that combines cannot reach will be switched to other crops.

Background: hand-picking cotton was mass seasonal work in Uzbekistan for decades, but mechanization has moved fast in recent years. The shift to machines changes not only farming but also procurement: instead of tools and seasonal labor, farms need combines, spare parts, service, fuel, warehouses, and logistics.

What it means for suppliers

Those who work with agricultural machinery and its maintenance can win. This means supplying cotton harvesters, tractors, attachments, spare parts, and consumables. Full mechanization in two regions shows demand for machinery already exists, and the complete transition by 2027 will spread purchases over several seasons.

Second area: service and repair. The more machines in the field, the higher the need for diagnostics, repair, operator training, and mobile teams. Companies with engineers and on-site service can find orders here.

Third: storage and logistics infrastructure. Machine harvesting produces a different raw material flow: it must be received, weighed, dried, and transported faster. This means purchases of weighing equipment, transport, and warehouse machinery.

Fourth: switching 53,000 hectares to other crops. This includes seeds, fertilizers, plant protection products, and sowing and harvesting equipment. But the specific crops and volumes are not named in the report, so do not plan around numbers that are not there.

When will tenders appear? Some purchases will go through farms and agroclusters, some through government orders. The source gives no exact dates. A guide is the 2026–2027 budget cycle, but that is an assumption, not a fact.

According to TenderLabs, as of November 8, 2026, there are 566 open lots in the Agriculture sector. This shows procurement activity in the industry already exists, though some may not be directly related to cotton.

What to do now

• Check if you have machinery, spare parts, or services for cotton farming in your portfolio. If yes, prepare commercial proposals and technical datasheets in advance.
• Prepare documents for public procurement: electronic signature, platform registration, proof of experience, and equipment certificates.
• Find potential customers in the two fully mechanized regions — farms and clusters. Start with service and repair contracts; they are smaller and signed faster.
• Watch for announcements about switching 53,000 hectares to other crops: purchases of seeds, fertilizers, and machinery will appear there.
• If you work with logistics or warehouses, calculate an offer for faster receiving and transport of raw cotton.

The main thing is not to wait for 2027. Mechanization is already underway, and procurement for it will start before the full end of hand labor.