The Uzbek government has issued a decree criminalizing attempts to smuggle cotton to neighboring countries, Deutsche Welle reported on 16 October. The Interior Ministry has been ordered to take harsh measures against cotton smugglers. In Uzbekistan pickers are paid 30 soms (about $0.03) per kilogram, while pickers on the Kazakh side of the border get the equivalent of 600 soms. Reportedly, Uzbek law enforcement agencies have registered 140 cases of cotton smuggling. A recent shooting incident on the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border reportedly involved a case of attempted cotton smuggling. The report notes that Uzbek officials justify the low wages for Uzbek pickers by pointing to low world prices for cotton. But the collective farms for which the pickers work are getting six to seven times as much for the cotton sold to state-procurement agencies. A government decree also sets a fine for failing to deliver cotton promptly to procurement points. Reportedly, some pickers hide cotton in their homes, hoping for better prices later. (RFE/RL)