(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 2. By providing
essential resources, knowledge, and opportunities, FAO strives to
enhance the well-being and resilience of Agriculture in Uzbekistan,
Assistant Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) Representative in Uzbekistan Sherzod Umarov told Trend in an exclusive
interview.
The representative added that FAO, in collaboration with other
development partners, actively supports and promotes the
development of this sector in Uzbekistan through its diverse
initiatives and projects.
“Issues of climate change, water shortages, agriculture land
reforms, ensuring food security for the population, as well as
joining the World Trade Organization, will be on the agenda of the
national government in the field of agricultural development in the
coming years,” he said.
Umarov explained that the issues of developing and further
improving technologies for the production and processing of
agricultural products, ensuring the preservation of their quality
indicators and environmental cleanliness, adding certain indicators
for improving quality, and ensuring their long-term storage become
more relevant in the context of increasing competitiveness in the
market of agricultural products and expanding export opportunities
for domestic producers in Uzbekistan.
Earlier this month, Uzbekistan has revealed that it looks to
attract $50 billion of foreign investment to its agricultural
sector.
Meanwhile, Sherzod Umarov spoke on the subject of food safety
and ways of boosting Uzbekistan's competitiveness on agricultural
market.
“Ensuring food safety is crucial for both domestic consumption
and international trade. Uzbekistan may need to strengthen its
national food safety standards to align with internationally
recognized guidelines, such as those set by the Codex Alimentarius
Commission. This involves enhancing food inspection and
certification systems, implementing rigorous quality control
measures, and establishing traceability systems throughout the food
supply chain. Improved national food safety standards can enhance
consumer confidence and facilitate trade with other WTO member
countries,” he said.
Umarov added that an important challenge here is diversifying
crops and increasing the role of the horticulture sector, as well
as establishing competitive value chains in production of fruit and
vegetables, where Uzbekistan holds significant competitive
advantages. As part of the government's plans for the years
2022–2025, small family farms will be provided with horticulture
leases on approximately 200,000 hectares of land previously
utilized for cotton and grain production by large farms and
clusters.
“Uzbekistan, with its arid climate and extensive irrigation
needs, faces a pressing issue of water scarcity. The country
heavily depends on the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for
irrigation, but these rivers originate from upstream nations and
have witnessed decreased flow in recent times. As a result,
Uzbekistan has grappled with inefficient water management
practices, which not only jeopardize agricultural productivity but
also exacerbate the risks associated with limited water resources,”
Umarov explained.
Uzbekistan is currently undergoing a challenging phase of
transforming its agri-food systems. In 2019, the country adopted
the Agriculture Development Strategy 2020–2030, which outlines nine
priorities for the sustainable development of agriculture and
agri-food systems. The government's vision, as articulated in the
strategy, is to develop a competitive, market-based, diversified,
and export-oriented agri-food sector. Uzbekistan aims to increase
farm incomes, create new jobs, enhance food security, and ensure
the sustainable use of natural resources.
Speaking of WTO, Umarov also specified conditions for Uzbekistan
to enter the organization. He said the country underlined its
commitment to making rapid progress in its WTO accession talks in
spring 2023 as part of an overall program to implement large-scale
reforms of its trade and economic regimes.
“In the context of preparations for joining the WTO, problems
arose with improving the mechanism for subsidizing agricultural
producers, introducing international standards of good agricultural
practice, and improving national food safety standards,” Umarov
noted.
Uzbekistan has traditionally employed a system of state support
and subsidies for its agricultural sector. The FAO representative,
however, states that there is a need to align these mechanisms with
international trade rules and regulations. This involves ensuring
that subsidies provided to agricultural producers are transparent,
non-discriminatory, and comply with WTO guidelines.
“Also, joining the WTO requires compliance with international
standards and regulations. In the agricultural sector, which
includes adhering to good agricultural practices (GAP) that promote
sustainable production, environmental protection, and food safety,”
Umarov added.
He also pointed out that Uzbekistan may need to enhance its
agricultural practices to meet these standards, such as by reducing
the use of agrochemicals, improving soil management, and
implementing proper pest and disease control measures.
“The adoption of GAP can enhance the competitiveness of Uzbek
agricultural products in the international market,” he said.
He went on to add that liberalizing the cotton market in
Uzbekistan is a crucial task to increase yields, allocate land for
food crops, and boost farm incomes.
"Cotton holds significant importance as an agricultural product
in Uzbekistan, with a long value chain within the economy,” Umarov
noted.
He added that Uzbekistan has been gradually reducing the land
dedicated to raw cotton production. Reforms in the cotton market,
implemented in 2020-2021, abolished the state cotton order system.
This system previously mandated that all cotton produced in the
country be sold to the state and set annual production targets for
cotton-growing areas. The end of mandatory state procurement has
provided farmers with more freedom and market power.
“However, challenges such as financial market restrictions,
limited access to variable and capital inputs (especially for
small-scale farmers), and weak contracting conditions still
necessitate ongoing liberalization and structural reforms,” Umarov
explained.
FAO official also stressed that major prospects for the
development of agriculture in the Republic of Uzbekistan are
defined in the Agriculture Development Strategy of the country for
the period from 2020 through 2030 and the Road Map developed for
it.
“The government's vision, as articulated in the Strategy, is to
develop a competitive, market-based, diversified, and
export-oriented agri-food sector. The aim is to increase farm
incomes, create new jobs, enhance food security, and ensure the
sustainable use of natural resources,” he said.
Uzbekistan stands as one of the world's largest producers of
natural textile fibers, cotton yarn, and knitwear. The country
exported 21,800 tons of knitted products worth $102.9 million from
January through April 2023. As per data by Uzbekistan's Statistics
Agency, cotton yields in Uzbekistan amounted to 678,900 in 2022,
with a decrease of 31,700 tons compared to 2021 (710,600 tons).
The representative also said that developing a legislative
framework is essential for providing a clear and comprehensive set
of guidelines for rural development policies and interventions.
“Rural development, being recognized as a top priority in the
Agriculture Development Strategy 2020–2030, highlights the
importance of addressing the multifaceted nature of rural
development, which is influenced by a combination of social and
economic policies. This recognition signifies the commitment of
Uzbekistan to foster the holistic development of rural areas in
order to improve the well-being of rural communities and enhance
overall agricultural sustainability,” he said.
The representative noted that Uzbekistan plans to develop and
introduce a regulatory legal act, which will launch a national
program for the development of rural areas by the end of 2023.
“To effectively address this priority, the Agency for Strategic
Reforms under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan has
recently established an interagency working group tasked with
developing a national rural development plan, whose establishment
demonstrates the government's commitment to coordinating efforts
across multiple ministries and agencies to tackle rural development
challenges comprehensively,” Umarov added.
A FAO representative explained that developing a legislative
framework is essential for providing a clear and comprehensive set
of guidelines for rural development policies and interventions.
Such a framework can define key terms, principles, and procedures,
ensuring consistency, transparency, and accountability in the
implementation of rural development initiatives. It can also
establish mechanisms for monitoring, evaluation, and feedback to
facilitate continuous improvement and adaptive management.
Umarov also stressed that crop and animal production, along with
forestry, contribute directly to approximately 25 percent of global
greenhouse gas emissions. Given this significant environmental
impact, promoting environmentally friendly food production
practices is crucial for various reasons, including environmental
conservation, food quality, food safety, and income generation.
“In Uzbekistan, farmers are gradually recognizing the benefits
of international practices and standards that support the concept
of environmentally friendly food production. By adopting
internationally recognized food business management practices such
as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygiene Practices
(GHP), and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP),
Uzbekistan can scale up these practices and have a wider impact,”
he concluded.
Earlier this year, during the meeting between Uzbekistan's
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Director General of the FAO Qu
Dongyu, which was held as part of the president's official visit to
Italy, a new comprehensive cooperation program until 2023 was
established as one of the priority areas of partnership between
Uzbekistan and FAO.
Investment and trade agreements worth $1.88 billion were
concluded on the Agri-Food Investment Forum in Uzbekistan earlier
in September 2023. During the forum, the participants signed
agreements on 24 projects worth $857.3 million to attract direct
investment, while grants and funds from international financial
institutions amounted to $707.5 million. Moreover, trade agreements
worth $319.2 million were concluded.
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