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on cotton cultivation, which has remained the leading crop under state conditions,
despite wheat production share signifi cantly increasing in recent years. Uzbekistan
is setting an impressive example by presently generating 82.9 % of its wheat consumption from domestic production, while this share from own production was only
14.3 % when it became independent. In 2011 Uzbekistan remained ranked sixth
among world cotton suppliers with 983,000 t (Perekhozhuk et al. 2013 ). Fergana
has remained one of the prime suppliers of raw cotton as the processing industries
were mainly located far away in the industrial centres of the West.
9.3 Historical Setting of Tsarist Plans to Utilise
Central Asian Water Resources to Large-Scale
Soviet Irrigation in the Fergana Valley
With the conquest of the Kokand Khanate in 1876, the Fergana Oblast of the General
Governorate Turkestan was established and promoted cotton production for the
up-and- coming Russian industry (Thurman 1999 ). The establishment of major
Fig. 9.2 Map of Fergana Oblast showing the percentage shares of cotton ( green shading in the
legend) in comparison to other crops in the irrigated lands in 1913. The urban centres within the
cotton-growing areas were Andijan, Kokand, Margilan, Namangan and Skobelev (Source:
Ponyatovsky 1913 )
9 From Upscaling to Rescaling: Transforming the Fergana Basin from Tsarist…
on cotton cultivation, which has remained the leading crop under state conditions,
despite wheat production share signifi cantly increasing in recent years. Uzbekistan
is setting an impressive example by presently generating 82.9 % of its wheat consumption from domestic production, while this share from own production was only
14.3 % when it became independent. In 2011 Uzbekistan remained ranked sixth
among world cotton suppliers with 983,000 t (Perekhozhuk et al. 2013 ). Fergana
has remained one of the prime suppliers of raw cotton as the processing industries
were mainly located far away in the industrial centres of the West.
9.3 Historical Setting of Tsarist Plans to Utilise
Central Asian Water Resources to Large-Scale
Soviet Irrigation in the Fergana Valley
With the conquest of the Kokand Khanate in 1876, the Fergana Oblast of the General
Governorate Turkestan was established and promoted cotton production for the
up-and- coming Russian industry (Thurman 1999 ). The establishment of major
Fig. 9.2 Map of Fergana Oblast showing the percentage shares of cotton ( green shading in the
legend) in comparison to other crops in the irrigated lands in 1913. The urban centres within the
cotton-growing areas were Andijan, Kokand, Margilan, Namangan and Skobelev (Source:
Ponyatovsky 1913 )
9 From Upscaling to Rescaling: Transforming the Fergana Basin from Tsarist…