SOME COMMENTS ON THE MONOPOLY OF COTTON IN UZBEKISTAN IN THE 50-80S OF THE XX CENTURY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The Soviet state’s economic planning policy posed complex environmental problems. The country's main supplier was the Central Asian region, in particular, Uzbekistan, which supplied industrial products, astrakhan leather, hemp, silk, cotton, as well as large quantities of gold, mercury, tungsten and petroleum products. The fiber used in the textile industry of the socialist countries is also mainly grown in Uzbekistan. This is due to the regularly developed lands, and in Central Asia and southern Kazakhstan alone, the total irrigated land area was about half of all land in the whole country. The inability to irrigate the developed lands has led to problems in saving and reusing water, and the continuous planting of raw cotton has led to changes in soil composition. As a result, cropland is depleted, soil fertility opportunities are reduced, and soil erosion increases, which reduces the natural self-defense immunity of plants and leads to the proliferation of various insects in the fields. The use of chemicals to increase productivity is increasing. Chemical fertilization of crops using pesticides, herbicides and sulfur was carried out regularly in agriculture. This has led to the fact that fertilizers remain in the soil scene almost undigested, degrading the soil composition, adversely affecting the health of the population.