Sandjar Djalalov & Suresh Chandra Babu 
Policy Reforms and Agriculture Development in Central Asia 

Achieving sustainable agricultural development is at the forefront of the poverty reduction objective of the Central Asian republics – Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Since independence, the countries of the Central Asian region have undergone a series of transition from centrally planned economies to a more market oriented system. Wide-ranging policy reforms have been implemented, although in varying degrees, in the five Central Asian countries. Despite great efforts by the countries and the external advice and efforts of international agencies to help them to follow a dynamic growth path, the progress in policy reforms has been frustratingly slow. Generating momentum to reorient the approach and the sequencing of policy reform packages will require rethinking of the policy reform process. This is particularly so in the food, agriculture, and natural resource sectors. This further requires improved understanding among the policymakers, donors, and international agencies of the impact of policy alternatives so that policy reforms and the speed with which they have been implemented are consistent with the objectives and the social and political realities of individual countries in the region. Involving the local policy research community in identifying critical issues and challenges, setting priorities among them for food and agricultural and natural resource policy research and analysis, and implementing joint research studies is the best way to generate knowledge on the impact of policy reforms and to increase ownership of policy design and implementation.

Table of Content

Policy Reforms and Agriculture Development in Central Asia: An Overview of Issues and Challenges.- Economic Reform and Performance in Central Asia.- Agriculture Development in Central Asia: Trends and Analysis of Policy Reforms.- Political Economy of Agrarian Reforms in Central Asia: Lessons from Policy Failures.- Policy Reforms in Central Asia: Problems and Perspectives.- A Comparative Analysis of Trends in Agricultural Productivity in Central Asian Transition Economies.- Land Reform and Farm Restructuring in Central Asia: Progress and Challenges Ahead.- Globalization, Water and Changing Policies in the Aral Sea Basin.- Agriculture Reform Policies in Uzbekistan.- Policy Reforms and Agriculture Development Challenges in Tajikstan.- Agrarian Reforms in Turkmenistan.- Establishing the Sectoral Linkages in Policy Reforms.- Impact of Policy Reforms on Farm Production in Uzbekistan.- Farmers’ Response to Land Privatization in Tajikistan.- Market Reform and Producer Responses in Central Asia.- Policy Reforms and Livestock Development in Central Asia.- Private Sector Development in Uzbekistan Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities.- Institutional Reforms and National Agricultural Research Systems in Central Asia.- Irrigation Systems and Sustainable Natural Resource Use Under Economic Reforms in Uzbekistan.- The Sustainable Development of Water User’s Associations in Uzbekistan.- Policy Reforms, Poverty and Food Security.- Food Security and Poverty in Central Asia.- Policy Reforms and Poverty in Central Asia with Special Focus on Kyrgystan.- Food Security and Determinants of Poverty in Central Asia: Case Study from Kazakhstan.- Future Challenges and Conclusions.- Information and Communication Technology in Reforming National Agricultural Systems in Central Asian Countries: The Case of Georgia.- Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Policy Reforms in Central Asia.- Policy Reforms in Central Asian Agriculture: A Synthesis and Conclusion.