Usmonxojayev succeeded Sharof Rashidov, who had been General Secretary since the 1950s. As orders from Moscow to grow more and more cotton spiraled in, the Uzbek government had respond by reporting miraculous growth in land irrigated and harvested, and record improvements in production and efficiency.
Usmonxojayev took over as General Secretary after Sharof Rashidov, who had held the position for decades. As Moscow's directives to boost cotton production intensified, the Uzbek government responded by reporting astonishing increases in irrigated land and harvested crops, along with notable gains in efficiency.