Uzbekistan uses satellite data to find 30,000 hectares of farmland in Kashkadarya

At a meeting on Kashkadarya's development on 22 October 2026, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's government said satellite data had identified a further 30,000 hectares suitable for farming. Egyptian specialists will help develop the land. Reports put the largest areas in Mubarak, Koson and Kokdala districts, with more in several other districts.

Water supply is the main constraint. Next year 265 km of canals will be lined with concrete and 20 pumps upgraded, reported as costing 550 billion soums (about $46.1 million). Water-saving technologies are due on 75,000 hectares.

Separately, drones will be used to plant drought-resistant fodder crops across 100,000 hectares of pasture in eight districts, with World Bank cooperation, and 10,000 hectares in Guzar will be allocated to farmers. Four small reservoirs built this year will be joined by more in five districts by 1 June 2027.

Why it matters: Satellite-based land screening is being used directly to plan national agricultural expansion, paired with irrigation investment and drone-based planting. It is a practical example of Earth observation feeding land-development decisions in water-stressed regions.