Dehkan farm


A dehkan farm is a term for an individual or family farm in Central Asia. Originally a Persian word used by the Sassanid Empire, it is still utilized in the classification systems of several regional governments.

Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan, household plots were reclassified as "dehkan farms" in 1998, at which time the Law of Dehkan Farms was passed. Around 60% of all agricultural production in the country comes from dehkan farms, which control less than 5% of arable land in the country and average less than 0.2 hectares in size.
The small dehkan farms grow vegetables and raise livestock. Scale crops, such as wheat and cotton, are usually grown on larger peasant farms and on the few remaining shirkats. All agricultural land in Uzbekistan is owned by the state. While this situation allows the state to demand certain performance and production standards from larger farms, dehkan farms are allowed to grow whatever the farmers wish. Additionally, unlike larger farms where leases must be renewed, leases for dehkan farms are lifetime holdings and can be transferred through inheritance. They cannot, however, be sold or given to someone outside the family as a gift.
Dehkan farms own 93% of all cattle in Uzbekistan.

Tajikistan

In Tajikistan, "dehkan farms" are midsized peasant farms that are legally and physically distinct from household plots. Regulations concerning dehkan farms in Tajikistan are laid out in the Law No. 48 on Dehkan Farms, dating from 2002.
Dehkan farms cultivate more than 60% of agricultural land in Tajikistan, averaging about 20 hectares in size. Dehkan farms concentrate in crop production and their share of livestock is minimal.