Ministers of Agriculture of Central Asian countries held an online meeting on Wednesday (February 15) to discuss measures aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the agricultural sector. Reportedly, the sixth meeting was chaired by Uzbekistan's Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Photo: Uzbekistan's Ministry of Agriculture
'With a sustainable approach, increased agricultural productivity can lead to increased food and nutrition security in Central Asia,' Vladimir Rakhmanin, FAO Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia said in a meeting.
'Sustainable functioning and development of agriculture require significant financial investments and investments, both from internal and external sources,' Uzbek Minister of Agriculture Aziz Voitov stressed.
'Besides, it is important to simultaneously develop social and economic infrastructure in rural areas and invest significant resources in the growth of human potential and the competence of farmers,” he added.
According to Uzbekistan's Ministry of Agriculture, last year agricultural sector contributed 25% to the country's GDP. The sector employs nearly 3.6mn people as 49% of the republic's population lives in rural areas. Currently, 70% of Uzbekistan's food products are produced by private farms. Reportedly, to date, the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing 11 major projects worth $2.5bn.
Comments (0)