In the period from January to May 2024, Uzbekistan saw a significant rise in its fruit and vegetable exports, achieving a 10.4% increase compared to the same period last year. According to the Statistics Agency, the country exported 722,100 tons of fresh produce during these five months.
Russia emerged as the largest importer of Uzbek fruits and vegetables, accounting for over 32% of the total export volume. Other key buyers included Pakistan, Kazakhstan, China, and Afghanistan, rounding out the top five destinations for Uzbek produce.
The total revenue generated from these exports reached $420 million. Among the various types of produce, onions and cabbages were the top earners, bringing in $44 million and $41.2 million respectively.
Despite the overall increase in export volume, the implementation of minimum export prices has negatively impacted both exporters and farmers. Analysts from EastFruit report that this policy has resulted in financial losses for these groups and likely reduced the foreign exchange earnings for the national budget. This situation is compounded by stagnation in the fruit and vegetable export sector and challenges in significant segments such as the greenhouse business. Uzbekistan is facing increased competition from neighbouring Turkmenistan, which is gradually gaining an edge in this area.
Source: yuz.uz