AGRICULTURAL SECTOR POTENTIAL OF UZBEKISTAN

Participants of the I International Fruit and Vegetable Fair, organized at the UzExpoCentre in Tashkent, in accordance with the resolution of President Islam Karimov fr om June 1, 2016, have visited the enterprises and orchards of the capital and Tashkent region, wh ere they got acquainted with the results of the reforms implemented for the development of agriculture, the process of harvesting, storage and packaging fruit and vegetable products.

As a result of the fundamental reforms carried out under the leadership of the President of our country aimed at further improving the social market economy, expanding the area for the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, the development of farmers’ movement and processing industry, in a historically short period of time our country has achieved food sovereignty.

The resolution of the Head of our state “On measures on improving system of procurement and use of fruits, vegetables, potatoes and melons” from April 12, 2016 serves as an important guide to action to further increase the volume of harvesting of fruit and vegetable and melon products, development of horticulture and enhance the export potential of our country.

Participants of the fair familiarized with the process of high-quality storage of fruit and vegetable products and preparation them for sendigng to export in the “Gold Dried Fruits” company and the “Ekoagroprodukt” farm in Tashkent region.

The “Gold Dried Fruits” company, founded in 2013, is specialized in producing dehydrated vegetables and spices. The company, which employs more than a hundred people, is able to process 120 tons of raw materials per day. 90 percent of products of the company are exported.

The “Gold Dried Fruits” company also cultivates a variety of fruit on an area of 400 hectares in Yangiyul district and vegetables on 200 acres in Pskent district of Tashkent region. Vegetables are grown in modern hothouses.

According to the general director of the company Murodjon Valiev, at the company established advanced technology from China, Germany, Belgium and other countries. With the help of these equipments are dried, frozen and packed more than 20 kinds of vegetables, and more than ten kinds of vegetables and melons, various herbs. During the current year, the company has exported cherry to South Korea, dried fruits to Moldova, fruit and vegetable products to Russia.

The leading expert of the company “Caravan of XXI century” Oksana Chernova (Belarus) noted that dried fruits from Uzbekistan are in great demand in Belarus. Now, there are negotiations in progress with the “Gold Dried Fruits” company for the purchase fresh fruit. At the “Ekoagroprodukt” farm in Yukorichirchik district of Tashkent region on an area of 137 acres with the use of intensive technologies are cultivated apples, peaches, cherries, apricots, plums and pears.

The orchards of farm are irrigated by the drip method, which allows saving almost twice water. The mixture of water and fertilizer is adjusted exactly to the roots of the seedlings, which increases productivity and prevents soil erosion. These technologies have aroused great interest among the participants of the international fair.

Chief Counsel of the South Korean company "Roc International" Lee Myung Jai praised the quality and taste of apples, pears and peaches, cultivated in the orchards of farm, and arranged for their direct purchase.

On the same day at the Uzexpocenter was conducted the international scientific-practical conference titled “The benefits of fruit and vegetable products in Uzbekistan”. It was attended by scientists and researchers of our country and representatives of international organizations.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan B.Sulaymonov, the Regional Director of the Central and South Asia office of the World Vegetable Center Warwick Easdown and others noted that in Uzbekistan special attention is given to the creation and cultivation of early maturing, high-yielding and productive varieties of fruits and vegetables, as well as the introduction of environmentally sound technologies.

At the conference were heard reports on high consumable characteristics of grown in Uzbekistan vegetables and melons, the results of ongoing the industry modernization and diversification. It was noted that in our country over the past three years have been created 23.5 thousand hectares of new vineyards, 17.4 thousand hectares of vineyards with low yields were completely renovated. By scientists of the Research Institute of Horticulture, Viticulture and Wine-making named after the Academician M.Mirzaev were created more than 40 high-yielding varieties of fruit trees and vines. Breeders of the Uzbek Research Institute of Vegetable, Melon Crops and Potato have bred 41 varieties of vegetable crops, 5 varieties of melon crops and 6 varieties of potatoes, which have high productivity and resistance to diseases.

International experts emphasized that Uzbekistan has great potential to further increase the export of fruits and vegetables, and the I International Fruit and Vegetable Fair is a good opportunity to explore this potential, exchange of views and reach mutually beneficial agreements.

At the conference were also discussed the issues of the widespread introduction of modern technologies for the cultivation of fruit and vegetable and melon production, improvement of processing and export, protection of crops from diseases and pests, the development of breeding and seed production, the use of water-saving technologies.

The International Fruit and Vegetable Fair continue.

UzA