Uzbekistan sharply increased imports of mandarins last year – they reached 63 600 tonnes in physical terms, which is 1.8 times more than in 2021, EastFruit specialists report citing data by the State Statistics Committee.
After a decline in 2020, the volume of mandarin imports to Uzbekistan recovered and even increased for the second year in a row. The absolute value of imports was at a record high last year. Moreover, the growth rate was record-breaking, too.
As we noted in our article “Uzbekistan dramatically increased imports of apples, bananas, kiwis, citrus fruits, and other fruits in 2022” in December 2022, such high growth rates of imports are due in part to the ongoing liberalization of Uzbekistan’s international trade. In particular, the zero rates for importing citrus fruits and bananas were again extended in November 2022.
“Another reason for the sharp growth in imports (apples, bananas, kiwis, citrus fruits, and other fruits) was a poor apple harvest in 2021 and a sharp increase in prices for them in the winter of 2021-2022. The third reason is the dynamically growing population of the country and the continued growth of the economy of Uzbekistan, combined with an increase in the number of foreigners who came to the country in 2022. The fourth reason is the ongoing dynamic development of food retail, which, as a rule, is strongest in the sale of imported fruits,” Andriy Yarmak, the economist at the Investment Center of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), explained.
According to the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, the leading suppliers of mandarins to the Uzbek market in 2022 were Pakistan, China, and Turkey. The total share of these countries accounts for 96.2% of total imports:
Pakistan – 51 100 tonnes (80.3% of total imports);
China – 5 800 tonnes (9.1%);
Turkey – 4 300 tonnes (6.8%);
Iran – 778 tonnes (1.2%);
Egypt – 442 tonnes (0.7%);
Other countries – 1 200 tonnes (1.9%).
For more information: east-fruit.com