Uzbekistan has made the revitalization of its cotton industry a national priority. The country has the most stable government in Central Asia and an abundant supply of natural resources. Governments and private financiers around the world are assisting in the modernization effort. It is estimated that the country will need $1 billion by the year 2000 to modernize its cotton production sector. The government plans an immediate move to a market economy for cotton agriculture, but a gradual transition to a market economy for the industrial sector.