The Institute for Macroeconomic and Regional Studies has researched the storage and reduction of losses in Uzbekistan's horticultural production.
Currently, the country produces more than 22 million tons of fruit and vegetable products annually. This includes vegetables (51.3%), potatoes (15.8%), fruits (13.8%), melons (11.3%), and grapes (7.7%).
The processing level for some products does not exceed 13-14% of total production, while losses, according to experts, amount to 20-30%.
Approximately 5.4 million smallholder farms and personal subsidiary plots are involved in horticulture, producing a combined 57.3% of the country's total fruit and vegetable output.
With an annual growth rate of 3.7% in horticultural production, the issue of preserving these products has become more critical each year.
As of January 1, 2024, there were 1,907 cold storage facilities in Uzbekistan, with a total capacity of 1.0032 million tons. On average, these cold storage facilities cover only 4.5% of the country's annual gross horticultural production.
Experts suggest the optimal, storage capacity should cover at least 75% of the country's export potential.
In 2023, Uzbekistan exported 1.7577 million tons of fruit and vegetable products. Based on this, cold storage capacity should have been at least 1.3183 million tons in 2023, meaning the country faced a storage shortfall of 315.1 thousand tons or a 31.4% increase in capacity was necessary.
Stimulating the creation of new cold storage facilities will help reduce crop losses in the country and create opportunities for farmers to increase their incomes by selling products during the off-season.
Source: nuz.uz