News

Focus on Uzbekistan's agriculture

Wheat
Uzbekistan
Published Feb 7, 2023

Tridge summary

Agriculture is an important sector for Uzbekistan, a double land-locked country with the highest population in Central Asia, accounting for 25% of GDP and employing 26% of the labor force. With wheat consumption estimated at 8.5 million tonnes in 2022-23, it is one of the largest key consumers of the grain in Central Asia.

Original content

Domestic wheat production will cover about 78% of that expected consumption. Uzbekistan imports high quality wheat from Kazakhstan, but in recent years has relied less on flour imports from that nation. Uzbek millers also have taken market share from Kazakhstan millers exporting to Afghanistan. Wheat imports in Uzbekistan averaged 3.2 million tonnes over the last five years while exports, mostly wheat flour to Afghanistan, increased to 1 million tonnes in 2021, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Uzbekistan has seen major reforms aimed at building a more open and market-oriented economy, including a switch to market prices starting June 1, 2022, for the purchase and sale of grain. The government is planning to auction facilities from the state-owned milling holding company Uzdonmahsulot, although the process has experienced delays. The government’s policies emphasize the importance of the agricultural sector as a driver of an export-oriented economy and focus on ...
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