前蘇聯專制政權壓榨農民的陰影，在烏茲別克仍盤旋不去。在烏茲別克東部，一些農民未按規定種植國家指定的棉花和小麥，轉種其他可牟利的作物。這些農民和部分執法官員，恐將面臨遭起訴的命運。
這起事件凸顯了烏茲別克農民當前的困境。理論上，農民要栽種什麼作物，屬於私領域，但實際上該國制度和前蘇聯時期作法相距不遠──農民需按分配量栽種棉花和小麥，再以不合理的的低價賣給國家。
棉花是烏茲別克主要外銷農作物，小麥則是供應國內自足的作物；政府和農民簽訂合約，要求每年「負責」生產一定產量的棉花和小麥，私下種植其他作物的農民則被認定違反合約。
庫瓦（Kuva）地方檢察署在例行稽查中發現當地農民陽奉陰違的做法。檢察官在其中一宗起訴書中指出，有12名農民按約應在一塊40多公頃土地上種棉花，但實際上其中的22公頃卻是拿來種其他作物，包括草莓、洋蔥等等，這些農產品，在地方市場可賣到比較好的價錢。
檢察署意圖利用這次起訴行動達到殺雞儆猴的效果。然而，政府當局是否真有法源依據來懲處這些農民，則尚未有定論，畢竟在農地上種植非棉花的農作物並非犯罪行為。再者，反壟斷法明令禁止國家干涉獨立的商業實體—─例如這些農民。
農民不願遵行國家政策的理由之一，是由於政府核定目標太過僵化，未將影響收成的天候因素考慮進去。要滿足國家要求，農民有兩個後門可走：賄賂官員，或是跟其他人購買來補足差額；不過，農民顯然明白，種植高獲利農作物的機會成本遠大於以上兩種。這也是政府今年打算採取嚴厲手段的原因之一。
不過，當地媒體仍質疑，檢察署的做法，真能有效地讓這些農民跟著國家政策走嗎？
Farmers and officials in eastern Uzbekistan are likely to face criminal charges for growing crops that they can sell, instead of the cotton and wheat demanded by the state. The case highlights the problems facing farmers in Uzbekistan, who in theory belong to the private sector but in practice are tied into Soviet-style rules under which they are bound to grow cotton and grain and sell it to the state at artificially low prices.
The farmers are suspected of having breached contracts drawn up by government requiring them to grow a certain quota of Uzbekistan's two strategic crops. Cotton is a major earner of export dollars for the government, while wheat is grown as part of a strategy of making the country self-sufficient.
The investigation was launched after a routine inspection by the Kuva prosecutor's office to ensure that local farmers were doing their bit to meet official production targets. The prosecutor's office cited one case where 12 farms were contracted to grow cotton over an area of 40 hectares, but 22 hectares of this land were found to have been planted with strawberries, onions and other crops which the farmers could easily sell at local markets.
The prosecutor's office intends to make an example of the farmers if they are charged. But it is unclear whether the authorities have the legal powers to do so, it is not a criminal offense to plant other crops instead of cotton. And a law on monopolies prohibits the state authorities from interfering in independent commercial entities, such as these farms.
One reason why farmers are unhappy about growing cotton and wheat is that government targets are rigid and do not take the vagaries of weather into account.
Farmers have realized that the opportunity cost of growing high-earning cash crops more than offsets the bribes and other outlays involved in topping up their cotton or grain quota.
As a result, the authorities have been forced to apply even more punitive measures than usual this year, although local commentators question whether prosecutions really represent an effective incentive for the country's agricultural producers.
