(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 12. trend News Agency presents
an overview of the most important events in 2022 in the
agricultural sector of Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan is an agro-industrial country, with about half of the
population engaged in this sector, thus Agriculture accounts for a
major part of the country's economy. Uzbekistan grows various
fruits, along with cotton, rice, grape, fodder.
State initiatives
Uzbek authorities pay great attention to development of the
agricultural sector. In this regard, modern greenhouses are
regularly created, as well as intensive gardens, seedling
collection points and cold storage facilities are built in the
country.
Speaking of modern technologies being used in agriculture,
Uzbekistan installed a sprinkling irrigation system in the Yangiyul
district of the Tashkent region in 2022, which allows to irrigate a
field of more than 40 hectares.
Furthermore, in 2022 Uzbek forestry enterprises planned to
organize plantations of medicinal plants on an area of 4,984
hectares. In the spring of 2022, 27 state forestry enterprises
created experimental plantations of blueberries, raspberries, and
currants on an area of 11.5 hectares.
In addition, experimental plantations of lavender, rosemary,
sage, thyme, etc., were created by 54 state forestry enterprises in
on an area of 195.1 hectares.
As for cotton cultivation, Uzbekistan planned to launch the
production of naturally colored cotton. Currently Uzbek scientists
research varieties of cotton and try to enrich the qualities of
cotton species with light brown, dark brown, reddish, yellow, light
green and dark green colors. This will improve economic efficiency
of agriculture and increase the export potential of cotton.
International cooperation
Creation of new grape varieties
In 2022, Uzbekistan established scientific cooperation with
Russian National Research Center - 'Kurchatov Institute'.
Scientists of the two countries were jointly developing new
seedless grape varieties. In this regard, new vineyards on 50,000
hectares were set up in Uzbekistan.
Organization of cotton clusters
South Korean POSCO International company (South Korea's largest
trading company) and Uzbekistan signed an agreement worth $65
million on organization of cotton cluster in Uzbekistan's Fergana
region.
Following the agreement, the cluster will be organized on a
5,000-hectare area of the Fergana region. It is planned to expand
the cultivation area to 35,000 hectares by 2025.
The sides also discussed cultivation and processing of
export-oriented crops in the Fergana region, export of fruits and
vegetables to the Korean market.
Loan allocation for innovations of agricultural
sector
Uzbek Ministry of Agriculture and the Austrian UniCredit bank
signed and agreement on opening a preferential credit line to
finance the modernization of the agricultural sector. Following the
agreement, the bank allocated a preferential loan of 7.9 million
euros for innovations in the agricultural sector of Uzbekistan. The
loan was intended to be used to equip agricultural enterprises with
innovative rain irrigation technologies of the Austrian Bauer Gmbh
company.
Prospects of supplying agricultural products to
Qatar
Qatar and Uzbekistan have discussed establishing supply lines
for fresh and dried fruits from Uzbekistan in 2022. The parties
talked about the current state of bilateral cooperation in the
field of agriculture and considered the possibilities of expanding
trade, including logistics routes, opening trade missions, etc.
Support to Uzbek farmers and fertilizer producers
USAID has allocated $2 million to support farmers in Uzbekistan
in 2022 The funding will help protect vulnerable groups of
population from the growing global food crisis and will be used to
increase the volume and quality of fertilizers produced in
Uzbekistan. The aim of the assistance is to strengthen the
country's capacity to ensure food security in the context of the
global food crisis.
Grant to Uzbekistan to improve labor conditions in cotton
industry
The US Department of Labor announced the award of a $2 million
cooperative agreement to support the improvement of labor
conditions in Uzbekistan's cotton industry. The funding aims to
build the capacity of Uzbek cotton enterprises to adhere to
international labor standards and enact effective labor compliance
systems.