COMPARATIVE ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF DRIP, SPRINKLER, AND FURROW IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IN UZBEKISTAN: EVIDENCE FROM 2021–2025

This article compares the economic and operational characteristics of drip, sprinkler, and furrow irrigation systems in Uzbekistan using recent administrative evidence for 2021–2025, international irrigation literature, and an indicative investment-threshold model. The analysis deliberately separates national technology-adoption statistics from farm-level causal performance because Uzbekistan does not yet publish a harmonized annual panel that reports yield, water use, energy consumption, and profitability for the three systems on directly comparable farms. Reported coverage of water-saving interventions increased from approximately 308 thousand hectares in 2021 to 2.6 million hectares in 2025. Over the same period, reported drip-irrigation coverage rose from 121 thousand to 664 thousand hectares, while sprinkler-irrigation coverage reached 121 thousand hectares by 2025. The rapid expansion confirms strong policy and investment momentum, but adoption area alone does not prove economic efficiency. Drip irrigation provides the highest degree of application control and can be financially attractive for high-value crops, yet its capital, filtration, maintenance, and financing requirements are substantial. Sprinkler irrigation offers operational flexibility but introduces pressure and energy costs. Improved furrow irrigation remains economically rational where capital is scarce, fields can be levelled, and water delivery is sufficiently reliable. The article proposes a comparative framework based on net present value, benefit-cost ratio, annualized investment cost, water productivity, energy intensity, labour requirements, and institutional readiness. It concludes that Uzbekistan should evaluate irrigation technologies through verified farm budgets and system-level water accounting rather than through installation targets alone.