The prosperity of Uzbekistan's agrarian sphere depends on the alliance of farmers, processing companies and scientists

Through fundamental transformations in the agrarian sphere, carried out under the wise leadership of the President, the country has achieved previously unknown results. Consistent introduction of innovations and advanced developments, modern achievements of science and technology in agriculture are important components of success. As the head of state noted, unless we establish the scientific basis of agriculture, there will be no development in the sphere.

So, our enterprising farmers, relying on years of labor experience and modern knowledge of scientists with tireless care, have achieved impressive results in 2023. Villagers find a common language with nature in harmonious communication. Everyone knows that the past winter was severe and abnormally cold. Heavy rains and hail pestered us in spring, heat and low water in summer. This caused serious inconvenience to the workers of the sphere.

However, thanks to the special attention of the state aimed at the growth and prosperity of agriculture, provided benefits and preferences, dehkans and farmers were able to achieve significant success in comparison with the previous year.

For example, dehkans in the current year raised a large khirman of 3 million 800 thousand tons of raw cotton, 8.2 million tons of grain. Over 15 million tons of vegetables and melons, five million tons of fruits and grapes, four million tons of potatoes have been grown. Other branches of the agricultural sector also showed similar positive dynamics.

I would like to move away from the figures and dwell in detail on the components of growth. This year, a number of administrative reforms have been implemented in the agricultural sector. Unrelated functions have been eliminated in the management mechanisms, tasks and powers have been united into a single system.
New mechanisms of financial support of agricultural producers have been introduced. In particular, livestock breeding and greenhouse farms, cotton and textile clusters, as well as created conditions for the stable development of viticulture and winemaking, expansion of the raw material base and export volumes, provision of the agrarian sector with modern resource-saving machinery and equipment.

It is worth noting the positive role of the adoption of relevant decisions, which provided freedom to farmers and dehkans in the choice of crops for cultivation, placement of crops, canceled the unjustified interference of state bodies.

Undoubtedly, the radical reforming of the sphere based on the achievements of science, application of advanced agro-technologies, and the system of financial incentives for agricultural production had a positive effect.

As a result of large-scale measures aimed at solving the main issues (improving soil fertility, raising the level of state policy in the fight against land degradation, for preserving the sustainability of the ecosystem), crop yields are increasing. In 2023, the soil condition was improved on the area of one hundred thousand hectares: these lands were returned to turnover, vegetables and orchards were planted on them.

Thanks to the consistent introduction of modern scientific and innovative developments, effective use of biological fertilizers and humus, soil fertility has increased, cotton yields have grown by 10 percent, grain crops by 20 percent, vegetables and melons by 25-30 percent.

The population of our country is growing from year to year. Therefore, along with the task of uninterrupted provision of our compatriots with agricultural products, we need to work systematically to create jobs in the agricultural sector. For example, it is worth noting that over the past two years, 200 thousand hectares of land previously used for cotton and grain crops have been taken out of circulation and distributed among 670 thousand fellow citizens in order to provide employment for rural residents, reduce poverty and increase agricultural production. As a result, nearly 2.2 million seasonal and permanent jobs have been created and an additional three million tons of field produce has been produced. This, too, is helping to increase the abundance of our dastarkhan.

Overall, in 2023, nearly three million villagers have been provided employment and a source of income in the agrarian sector.

There is a popular wisdom "Gap sarishtada" which means roughly "Strength is in order". Because about thirty years ago the state of work on storage, processing and delivery of field products grown by rural workers did not stand up to criticism, a considerable part of the harvest was lost. But now the number of modern trade, logistics centers, enterprises for deep processing and storage of products is growing in rural areas. As a result, a solid basis has been created for the development of the country's export opportunities along with a guaranteed supply of quality horticultural products to the population. This year, the processing capacity of fruits and vegetables has reached 3.3 million tons per year, the number of agro-logistic centers has grown to 76, their total potential is almost one million tons of products.

We can proudly report that this year we have supplied almost 80 countries with agricultural products worth 1.5 billion dollars. Now the products of Uzbekistan's fields are sold on all continents.

More than 800 clusters are currently operating in all spheres of agriculture, in particular, cotton growing, grain farming, vegetable growing, horticulture, cattle breeding and silk farming. Clusters account for one hundred percent of production in cotton growing and 60 percent in fruit and vegetable production. The cluster method of production of fields and farms is improving year by year. The head of our state dwelt on this in detail during a video conference call on November 9, 2023 on improving the activities of cotton and textile clusters, support and increase yields and productivity of agricultural sectors. In particular, it was decided to introduce a new system for organizing clusters, ensuring their interaction with farmers. From now on, farmers will be able to conclude futures contracts with any cluster within one region, as well as to sell part of the crop in excess of the futures through the exchange.

In short, these innovations in the system define new horizons of development, which will allow in the coming year to achieve full processing of cotton fiber within the country, the value of which will reach $ 9.6 billion, and the level of exports will be 4.5 billion.
It is impossible to overestimate the role of agricultural machinery in the sphere; it is not without reason that it is said: "Machinery is the wings of dekhkanin".
This year, in order to increase the level of technical equipment of the sphere, more than 10.5 thousand units of high-efficiency equipment worth 2.5 trillion soums were supplied to clusters, farmers and dekhkan farms.

As a result, it was possible to reduce the sowing season from 20 days to eight days, harvesting of grain crops - from 30 days to 16 days, as well as the lifting of winter crops in 20-25 days.

Thanks to the measures taken, for the first time in the history of New Uzbekistan, 25 percent of the harvest was gathered by machines.
New systems have been created in the sphere of livestock breeding, and the state has provided wide opportunities for farm workers. This year, 70 thousand heads of pedigree cattle, 180 thousand sheep and goats, two million chickens have been delivered to our country from foreign countries.
As a result of these measures, the number of improved pedigree cattle in the country has reached 74 percent, the number of large livestock complexes in the regions has reached 540 (although back in 2019 there were only 50). The abundance of meat and dairy products in markets and stores is the fruit of these efforts.
As in other industries, the state pays close attention to digitalization in the agricultural sector. Last year 10 new information and geoinformation systems were introduced, which allowed to increase the accuracy of data collected in the sphere, to reduce the participation of human factor in data collection processes. Work in this direction will be consistently continued in the future.

At present, the world, including our country, is concerned about the problems of climate change, growing deficit of water resources, desertification of territories, which puts before the workers of the sphere and scientists-agrarians the tasks to solve them.
In order to prevent these threats and increase soil fertility, the tasks of uninterrupted provision of the sphere with resource-saving and highly efficient equipment, introduction of agricultural technologies based on the experience of developed countries, increase in agricultural production, improve the quality of services and training of highly qualified specialists are set as priorities.

Simultaneously with these urgent challenges, the limited logistics chains for the development of the industry - the lack of direct access to seaports shows the need to work with a new vision.

As the head of state says, each such challenge should be perceived as a new opportunity and turned into points of growth based on innovative approaches. In fact, if you think about it, even this very challenge, which is that our country is as if closed "on a double lock", helps to save our land from technological threats and harm and, as a result, provides us with great opportunities to supply the world markets with expensive quality food products. Uzbekistan's new advantages and opportunities in world markets are just that.

The only way to open new opportunities, to ensure added value and attractiveness of domestic agriculture is to widely introduce the achievements of science and innovations into the sphere, to look at every challenge from the point of view of opportunities. The reason is that the many thousands of agricultural workers of the country are facing responsible tasks to provide the population of Uzbekistan with a variety of food products without interruption, to contribute to increasing the economic power of our homeland. I am confident that our hard-working and selfless dehkans, agricultural scientists are quite capable of solving these honorable tasks.

Ibrohim Abdurakhmonov.
Minister of Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan.