How will Uzbekistan boost agricultural exports?

According to a report from the Presidential press service, a videoconference meeting chaired by Shavkat Mirziyoyev took place on March 18, focusing on boosting investments and exports in agriculture and the food industry.

Last year, Uzbekistan produced 23 million tons of fruits and vegetables, and the food industry generated products worth 86 trillion sums.

Estimates indicated a potential for product exports amounting to $5 billion; however, due to poor organization by ministers and hokims, as well as unresolved issues faced by exporters, this figure did not exceed $2 billion.

The meeting analyzed the structure and geography of exports. Over the past year, more than ten new markets were opened, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Colombia, and Indonesia, bringing the total to 85. Nevertheless, 80 percent of exports are concentrated in five countries, and ten types of products account for 60 percent of the total volume of fruit and vegetable exports.

Each year, 700 billion sums are allocated to support agricultural product exports, and 1 trillion sums for increasing production. However, the results do not match the efforts made. The potential of 1 million hectares of land released from grain cultivation, 508 thousand hectares of household plots, and 260 thousand hectares of land distributed among the population is not fully utilized. Some regions do not export fruits and vegetables at all.

The head of state expressed readiness to consider creating any necessary conditions to boost agricultural and food exports this year.

“Controlling inflation and ensuring currency stability are directly linked to exports. If we do not expand the conditions for export alongside increasing production, the results will not meet expectations,” said the head of state.

Representatives from exporting companies and logistics firms attended the meeting. The President engaged in dialogue with them, listening to their problems and initiatives. The proposal to transfer the management of trading houses in Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain, the USA, and Kazakhstan to entrepreneurs was supported, as well as the opening of trading houses in major port cities such as Nagoya, Mersin, Rotterdam, Qingdao, Klaipeda, and Doha.

A newly opened private laboratory with international accreditation at the Agro-Service Center in Yukorichirchik is the first of its kind. This year, with an investment of $8 million, similar modern laboratories will be launched in Zangiata, Fergana, and Samarkand.

A reference laboratory will be established in Tashkent to ensure that private laboratories meet international standards. For this purpose, $12 million will be allocated, sourced from the World Bank. In the future, internationally recognized reagents will be exempt from customs duties and will not require mandatory environmental certification.

Officials have been tasked with ensuring international accreditation for other laboratories, studying national requirements from foreign countries regarding the quality of fruits and vegetables, and informing our exporters about this.

The meeting also analyzed the potential of the food industry.

This year, it is planned to produce food products worth no less than 100 trillion sums and export goods worth $1 billion, as well as to launch 528 projects worth $833 million under regional programs. Banks have been allocated $310 million to finance these projects. These measures will enable an increase in the export of finished food products by $200 million.

Based on the discussed issues, it was decided to create a commission for the export of fruits, vegetables, and food products headed by the Prime Minister.

A three-year program will also be developed, covering the entire cycle from cultivation to storage, packaging, processing, and selling products. Measures will be taken to support 2,362 exporting agricultural enterprises and increase their number. It was instructed to create a permanent platform for dialogue with exporters, where information about available products in the regions, demand, and prices in foreign markets will be exchanged.