FORCED COLLECTIVE AGRICULTURE IN THE FERGANA VALLEY DURING THE PERIOD BEFORE WORLD WAR II: ECONOMIC CRISIS AND WATER SHORTAGE

As a result of the policy of publicization, the land area of poor and middle-class peasant farms expanded significantly. In particular, in addition to the areas allocated within the framework of land reform, another 871 thousand hectares of arable land were put at the disposal of peasants. Also, along with a large amount of fallow and pasture lands, 80 thousand hectares of newly developed areas were put into circulation. Consequently, by 1940, the total land fund of collective farms amounted to 16 million hectares; of which 2 million hectares were irrigated. For comparison, before the revolution, representatives of this class had only 716 thousand hectares of irrigated land.