Uzbekistan to shift all agricultural land to leasehold system by 2027

During the presentation, it was emphasized that a separate record should be kept of vacant land previously used by individuals and organizations but later returned to district administrations. The president instructed the creation of an automated system – free from human interference – to put such land up for auction in a short time.

Work has begun to turn leasehold rights to agricultural land into market assets. Mechanisms of sublease and secondary lease have been introduced.

From now on, tenants will be allowed to sublet part of the land while retaining the rest for themselves. Previously, such transfers required the land to be returned to the state and re-auctioned.

Since 2021, agricultural land has only been allocated on a leasehold basis. At the meeting, it was underlined that by January 1, 2027, all land currently used in agriculture must be transferred to leasehold rights.

Tenants will also be permitted to construct facilities serving agricultural land, such as lightweight cold storage warehouses, sorting and packaging points, water-saving technology installations, field shelters, and machinery parks. For this, a land management project must first be developed and approved. This project will then serve as the legal document confirming land-use rights when construction permits are issued.

The president gave further instructions to develop lease relations in agriculture, protect the rights and interests of tenants, and expand the application of market principles in the sector.

At the end of the presentation, a presidential decree was signed to implement these measures, and relevant amendments to secondary legislation were approved.