The price of fertilizers in Uzbekistan was ordered to be decreased by 15% during the high-level meeting headed by Mirziyoyev.
Steady Growth in Agricultural Production
Notable progress marked the agricultural landscape in the preceding year, with a 4.1% increase in production, reaching UZS 426 trillion ($34.6bn). Moreover, exports surged, nearing the $2bn mark, while 152,000 hectares of orchards and vineyards were meticulously cultivated.
The year 2023 witnessed unprecedented milestones in agricultural output, with a historic harvest of 3.7mn tons of cotton and 8mn tons of grain.
Critique and Call for Reform
However, despite these achievements, President Mirziyoyev raised concerns regarding the inefficiencies in cost-reduction efforts, the supply of high-yielding seeds, and the adoption of industrial practices. Acknowledging the constraints of limited land and water resources, the president emphasized the imperative of adopting innovative approaches to agricultural practices.
The meeting underscored the criticality of augmenting cotton and grain yields, facilitating the distribution of productive seeds, and providing training to farmers in modern agricultural technologies.
Initiatives for Enhancing Fertilizer Accessibility
To support agricultural productivity, President Mirziyoyev directed the provision of 900,000 tons of mineral fertilizers to the agriculture sector, with a mandate to reduce their costs by 15%.
A decision was made to allow the planting of imported seeds for the first time this year. However, logistical arrangements regarding the allocation of these seeds remained pending, with coordination efforts between the Cotton Council, the Agency for Quarantine and Plant Protection, and regional administrations underway.
Immediate Action Plan
President Mirziyoyev articulated a decisive action plan, with a mandate to procure 3,000 tons of seeds from abroad within a month and initiate the cultivation of high-yielding cotton varieties across 100,000 hectares.
To facilitate the adoption of agricultural innovations, plans are underway to introduce a system of preferential lending for grain and cotton cultivation.
To further bolster the agricultural sector, the state will fully cover the transportation costs from regions and the storage expenses for wheat purchased from the budget, facilitating seamless operations and ensuring food security.
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