Uzbekistan Silk Sector Faces Farmer Payment Crisis

Uzbekistan’s efforts to expand its sericulture industry are facing scrutiny following allegations by farmers and home-based cocoon producers of production quotas, coercive contracting practices, payments for production shortfalls and delays in receiving payment for cocoons.

The allegations have been documented by the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, which has monitored labour rights in the country’s silk sector and by Ozodlik, the Uzbek service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Uzbekistan is the world’s third-largest producer of silkworm cocoons after China and India and is seeking to further develop its sericulture industry. However, testimonies gathered by the two organisations indicate that farmers in several regions continue to face administrative pressure linked to state-imposed production targets.

According to the Uzbek Forum, many farmers and home-based producers were still waiting for payment several months after the 2026 cocoon harvest. The organisation said that some producers were unaware that the contracts they had signed stipulated that final payment was not due until December 31, 2026. Farmers also reportedly said they were sometimes pressured to sign blank or incomplete contracts and were not given copies of the final agreements.

Farmers Report Payments for Production Shortfalls
According to testimonies reported by Ozodlik, farmers in several regions were allegedly required either to deliver their assigned cocoon quota or pay a specified amount for every kilogram of production they fell short of.

A farmer from Jalaquduq district in Andijan region told Ozodlik that farmers were required to pay 20,000 Uzbek soums for each kilogram of their quota shortfall during the 2026 cocoon season. Similar reports emerged from Oltinkul district, where farmers said they had been instructed to make payments at cocoon collection points for each kilogram below their assigned target.

One farmer gave an example in which a 500-kg quota was only partly fulfilled. According to his account, a farmer who produced 200 kg was required to pay for the remaining 300 kg, resulting in a payment of six million soums, or approximately $500. The farmer alleged that production records could subsequently show the full quota as having been met even though the actual delivery was lower.

The report also cited farmers who attributed production losses to problems with silkworm eggs. Fakhriddin Abdurakhimov, a farm head in Jalaquduq, said most of his silkworms died during rearing and alleged that the eggs supplied to farmers were of poor quality. He said he had contracted to produce 120 kg of cocoons but delivered only 33 kg, leaving him liable for the reported shortfall payment.

Silk Enterprises Cite Recovery of Advances
Silk-processing enterprises have offered a different explanation for the payments demanded from farmers.

Oybek Pirmatov, head of Harir Tola silk processing enterprise in Jalaquduq, told Ozodlik that silk enterprises provide farmers with advances, silkworm eggs, paper and other production materials at the beginning of the season. According to Pirmatov, farmers who receive these inputs but fail to deliver the agreed quantity of cocoons are required to repay the advances. He said his enterprise had borrowed from a bank and was seeking to recover the money advanced to farmers.

Farmers, however, told the organisations that the amounts demanded from them were calculated according to the kilograms missing from their production quotas rather than the actual value of the inputs or advances they had received.

The Uzbek Forum reported that farmers alleged local administrative authorities were being used to enforce the commercial interests of private silk enterprises, potentially transferring production risks to farmers, including losses linked to silkworm mortality.

Questions Over Production Figures
The allegations have also raised questions about the accuracy of official cocoon production figures.

On June 9, the Jalaquduq district administration announced that the district had achieved 100.1% of its 275-tonne cocoon production target. However, documents cited by Ozodlik reportedly showed that as of June 4, most farms in the district had not delivered any cocoons.

Farmers interviewed by the outlet questioned how the target could have been reached within five days. One farmer alleged that farmers had been asked to pay 20,000 soums for every kilogram missing from their quotas. According to the report, the farmer also claimed that the amount ultimately paid by some producers substantially exceeded the initial advance they had received for silkworm boxes.

Ozodlik reported that neither the district hokim nor his press secretary responded to the outlet’s telephone calls seeking comment.

Similar allegations were reported from other regions. A farmer in Dustlik district of Jizzakh region said farmers had been ordered to stamp blank contracts with a silk cluster and were not given copies of completed contracts. Another farmer in Guzar district, Kashkadarya region, said he met a 200-kg quota by purchasing cocoons from other producers at 75,000 soums per kilogram. Telegram channels used by farmers reportedly contained requests from producers looking to purchase cocoons to meet assigned quotas.

Home-Based Producers Await Payments
The concerns extend beyond commercial farms to home-based cocoon producers.

According to the report, many producers raise silkworms in their homes in exchange for access to small plots of land. The work requires frequent feeding of silkworms with fresh mulberry leaves and intensive manual labour.

Some producers said they had waited months, and in some cases longer, for payment. One producer from Fergana region described the work as highly labour-intensive and questioned its economic return.

Another farmer from Baliqchi district said most of the silkworms supplied to him died, but he nevertheless managed to produce and deliver 250 kg of cocoons. He said payment had not been made because he had not fulfilled the assigned quota.

The reports highlight the challenges facing Uzbekistan as it seeks to expand a traditional silk industry and strengthen its position in global markets. While increasing cocoon production can support rural employment and the development of downstream silk processing, the allegations underline concerns around contractual transparency, production risk, payment practices and the reliability of reported output.

For the country’s silk industry, addressing such concerns could be important not only from a farmer welfare perspective but also for maintaining confidence among international buyers and supply-chain stakeholders. The allegations remain based on testimonies and reporting by the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights and Ozodlik, while the cited local authorities did not respond to requests for comment.