On September 19, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was presented with a report on the progress of agricultural reforms.
Uzbekistan is determined to fully utilize the vast potential of its agricultural sectors. In recent years, various areas such as cotton production, fruit and vegetable cultivation, greenhouse farming, and food processing have undergone reforms to increase productivity and economic efficiency.
Currently, over 1 million hectares of cotton are grown in 136 districts. This year, in addition to traditional varieties, 42 promising and 18 foreign varieties have been planted to improve yields. Notably, for the first time, varieties from China, India, and Turkey are being grown on nearly 100,000 hectares.
Furthermore, as an experimental measure, soaked seeds were sown on 112,000 hectares, and interregional and interdistrict rotation of varieties was implemented on 200,000 hectares.
The responsible officials presented updates on the outcomes of these innovations and plans for their further expansion next year. The President emphasized the importance of creating a competitive environment for importing seeds from abroad and developing advanced agricultural technologies for cotton production.
The quality of seeds greatly affects agricultural yield. However, many farmers, in an attempt to save costs, use low-quality seeds. It takes five years to test and approve a new seed variety for use in the country. In the best cases, private elite farms are responsible for primary seed production.
In light of this, a new system for testing and approving seed varieties has been established. As per this system, the government’s shares in 31 elite seed farms and 6 seed procurement workshops will be auctioned off to the public. 46 seed enterprises will be merged, and 13 modern enterprises will be established in different regions. These new seeds will be introduced for cultivation within 2 years.
Another vital sector is horticulture and viticulture. Uzbekistan has 266,000 hectares of gardens and 132,000 hectares of vineyards. However, this does not fully utilize the potential of the country’s fertile land. There is a significant area of underutilized land, particularly in hilly regions.
A new system will be introduced for creating new orchards, including apple orchards and vineyards, on such lands.
The Agency for the Development of Agro-Industry will conduct feasibility studies for projects, taking into account the specialization of regions, soil conditions, and climate. Preferential loans will be provided for land preparation, purchasing seedlings, installing planting and irrigation systems, and maintaining the garden for 3 years until it begins to bear fruit. These newly established industrial gardens will be equipped with modern water-saving technologies.
The system for allocating land for such projects will also be revised. Local government bodies will propose creating gardens on low-yield lands, and these lands will be leased through an open electronic bidding process for up to 30 years.
The President of Uzbekistan stressed the importance of expanding the creation of industrial gardens and vineyards.
“Our main goal is to develop agriculture using scientifically proven methods and the best practices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated.
The presentation also addressed the efficient use of greenhouses and providing them with electricity, natural gas, and working capital.
Today, water conservation is a pressing issue. In the regions, internal pumping units irrigate 732,000 hectares of cotton and grain fields, of which 41% consume a significant amount of energy.
In this regard, it was proposed to provide a one-time subsidy for the modernization of pumps for cotton and grain producers. This will reduce electricity consumption and irrigation time by up to 60%, ultimately reducing production costs.
The President approved these proposals and gave additional instructions for their improvement.
UzA