At the August 30 meeting, the Cabinet of Ministers approved measures for organizing the manual and machine harvesting of raw cotton in 2021, the Samarkand Provinec Department of Agriculture reported.
Thus, the minimum pa for 1 kg of hand-picked raw cotton at the first stage will be 1200 soums, or 11 cents, at the second - 1500 soums, or 13 cents (in 2020 - 1000 and 1400 soums). Until the end of the season, the heads of cotton-picking teams from among the unemployed are expected to receive a salary of 2 million soums, or 180 USD.
Cotton-textile clusters and farms growing raw cotton can independently set prices not lower than the approved tariffs.
To attract additional labor in the Jizzakh, Tashkent and Syrdarya provinces, as well as in some remote areas of Karakalpakstan, Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya provinces, pickers will receive a premium of 230 soums for each kilogram of cotton.
It is not allowed to force minors, university students, employees of budget-financed, non-budget-financed private and economic organizations, as well as military personnel to pick cotton. Any kind of forced labor is prohibited.