THE IMPACT OF AGRIBUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP ON RURAL INCOME GENERATION IN UZBEKISTAN: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS

Abstract

Background: Agriculture is the cornerstone of Uzbekistan's rural economy, yet persistent income disparities between rural and urban populations signal a structural inadequacy in subsistence-based farming models. Agribusiness entrepreneurship — defined as commercially oriented, innovation-driven business activity along the agricultural value chain — is widely regarded as a mechanism capable of bridging this income gap. However, rigorous quantitative evidence of this relationship within Uzbekistan's specific socioeconomic and institutional context remains limited.