Realities and prospects of potato growing in Uzbekistan
Potatoes are one of the strategic food products. At the same time, this crop is also worthy of attention from the point of view of developing a profitable agro-business. In order to explain to farmers the features and advantages of potato production, a workshop on potato farming was organized with a practical field trip.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Association of Potato Growers and AGROVER LLC – the market leader in the production of food (table) and seed potatoes, storage and complete processing.
More than 376.9 million tons of potatoes are produced annually in 156 countries. Uzbekistan ranks 23rd among these countries. In 2020, 2.9 million tons of potatoes were grown in Uzbekistan in all categories of farms throughout the country, of which 1.5 million tons were farmed and agricultural enterprises.
In 2020, 2.9 million tons of potatoes were grown in Uzbekistan in all categories of farms throughout the country, of which 1.5 million tons were farmed and agricultural enterprises.
"In 2021, it is planned to plant potatoes on a total area of 86.5 thousand hectares, of which 50.7 thousand hectares will be planted in the main areas, 3 thousand hectares in the rows of orchards and vineyards and 32.8 thousand hectares in secondary areas," said Fakhriddin Kirghizboev, head of the Department for the Development of Fruit and Vegetable Growing, viticulture, Horticulture and potato Cultivation of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Currently, increased attention is paid to the production of potatoes in Uzbekistan. The state also promotes the development of potato seed production, the introduction of storage systems and deep processing, which allows you to create an additional value chain.
The country is actively launching processes that promote the reproduction of healthy seed potatoes. Thus, in-vitro laboratories have been established in Tashkent, Samarkand, Namangan and Kashkadarya regions, where the production of seed potatoes has been established.
The Uzbek-Hungarian Potato Growing Center, whose main tasks include the development of sustainable potato varieties, opened in 2021 in the pilot "AKIS Center for Agricultural Knowledge, Innovation and Services", created by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan with the support of the European Union and the World Bank as part of the implementation of the "Strategy for the Development of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030".
According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated February 26, 2021 No. PP-5009, a program of measures for the organization of primary seed production of potatoes, along with vegetables, melons, in Bustonlyk, Bulungur, Yangikurgan, Andijan, Altyaryk, Muzrobod, Mirzaobod districts has been developed. The "Fund for Financial support of scientific research and innovative developments, development of potato varieties breeding and Potato Seed production" was established at the Research Institute of Vegetable and Melon Crops and Potatoes.
