HISTORY OF CULTIVATION, PRODUCTION, AND TRADE OF SPICES AND CONDIMENTS IN UZBEKISTAN IN THE 20TH CENTURY

The study examines the history of cultivation, production, and trade of spices and condiments in Uzbekistan during the Soviet period of the 20th century. Special attention is given to the influence of the centralized planned economy of the USSR on the formation of regional policies for the production and distribution of aromatic and spice crops. It is shown that decisions made by central planning authorities directly dictated sowing conditions, production volumes, and prices of finished products, reflecting the specifics of the economic model of Soviet Central Asia. Measures aimed at expanding the southern areas of oilseeds and other industrial crops (excluding cotton) are analyzed, with the purpose of meeting domestic demand and strengthening the trade network. The study highlights the relationship between state policy, agricultural production, and the organization of trade, demonstrating how centralized planning affected the development of spices and condiments and the provision of the population with these products within the framework of the Soviet economy.