TASHKENT: Uzbekistan plans to bring the export of agricultural products to 5 billion U.S. dollars in the coming years by widening the export destinations and modernizing the sector, the presidential press service said Tuesday.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has instructed the government to increase the scientific potential of the agricultural sector and to introduce an international certification system in order to achieve the export target, the press service said in a statement.
“In 2019, the certificates to export 78 types of (agricultural) products to 19 countries of the world were obtained. But this is not enough for Uzbekistan with its huge potential,” said the president.
Uzbekistan will pay special attention to negotiations with Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Qatar, Mongolia, Afghanistan and other countries to export fruits and vegetables, said the statement.
In March, the World Bank approved a 500-million-dollar financing package for implementation of the Agriculture Modernization Project in Uzbekistan, which will help the country modernize institutions and upgrade agricultural research and development capabilities.
Agriculture is the leading sector of the Uzbek economy, employing 3.6 million people and taking up 32 percent of the country’s GDP.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover has decreased by 12.5 percent, or 3.5 billion U.S. dollars, in the first eight months this year compared to the same period of 2019, Uzbek State Statistics Committee said Monday.
The total volume of foreign trade turnover has reached 24.5 billion dollars during this period, with exports at 11.6 billion dollars and imports 12.9 billion dollars, a negative balance of 1.3 billion dollars, the committee said.
China leads the list of Uzbekistan’s largest foreign trade partners, with a share of 16.4 percent, followed by Russia, Kazakhstan and South Korea, the data showed.–Agencies
