LAND REFORM AND FARM RESTRUCTURING IN CENTRAL ASIA: PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES … · 2011-02-21 ·...

CHAPTER 6 LAND REFORM AND FARM RESTRUCTURING IN CENTRAL ASIA: PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES AHEAD Rarnesh Deshpande Independent Consultant AN OVERVIEW Land reform in Central Asia, a critical element of the region's ongoing transition to market economy, is indeed at the crossroads. Since the collapse of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) in 1991, the overall objective of most FSU countries including those in Central Asia, has been, by and large, to fundamentally change the relationship between people and property (land and non-land assets); promote different forms of land ownership and use; and establish, through restructuring of former state-owned and collective farms, many family farms and small farm enterprises which could compete among themselves and help create a market-oriented agriculture. The Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, have, over the past decade, privatized and/or leased out approximately 40 million ha of arable lands held by former state-owned and collective farms. The five Central Asian counties have a total agricultural area of about 306 million ha of which pastures account for about 266 million ha which generally remain in state ownership. In Kazakhstan, for example, out of 222 million ha of agricultural lands, lands actually used are only about 18 million ha. Kazakhstan has 182 million ha of pastures and 21 million ha of forested lands. The scale, scope and speed with which the land reform initiatives were designed and implemented by the Central Asian countries have been formidable - especially against the backdrop of experience in land reform across the world and complexities that

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Transcript of LAND REFORM AND FARM RESTRUCTURING IN CENTRAL ASIA: PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES … · 2011-02-21 ·...

CHAPTER 6

LAND REFORM AND FARM RESTRUCTURING IN CENTRAL ASIA: PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES AHEAD

Rarnesh Deshpande Independent Consultant

AN OVERVIEW

Land reform in Central Asia, a critical element of the region's ongoing transition to market economy, is indeed at the crossroads. Since the collapse of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) in 1991, the overall objective of most FSU countries including those in Central Asia, has been, by and large, to fundamentally change the relationship between people and property (land and non-land assets); promote different forms of land ownership and use; and establish, through restructuring of former state-owned and collective farms, many family farms and small farm enterprises which could compete among themselves and help create a market-oriented agriculture.

The Central Asian countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, have, over the past decade, privatized and/or leased out approximately 40 million ha of arable lands held by former state-owned and collective farms. The five Central Asian counties have a total agricultural area of about 306 million ha of which pastures account for about 266 million ha which generally remain in state ownership. In Kazakhstan, for example, out of 222 million ha of agricultural lands, lands actually used are only about 18 million ha. Kazakhstan has 182 million ha of pastures and 21 million ha of forested lands. The scale, scope and speed with which the land reform initiatives were designed and implemented by the Central Asian countries have been formidable - especially against the backdrop of experience in land reform across the world and complexities that