Agricultural Development and Machinery Usage in Uzbekistan

Abstract

<p>Since the change in leadership, Uzbekistan is gradually transforming from an inward-looking, command-oriented economy to an outward-looking, market-oriented economy. This paper briefly presents the agricultural development and machinery usage situation in Uzbekistan. The development of agriculture has been identified as a critical component of the economic reform. The historical focus of the sector on the production of cotton and wheat has continued to dominate production. With the introduction of critical liberalization measures for the production of cotton and wheat in the beginning of 2020, the transition to higher value horticulture crops production has accelerated. Many farms are around 50 ha, and the associated farmers lack sufficient technical knowledge, farm business management capacities, business planning and/or marketing knowledge which significantly constrains their ability to attract or effectively use investment capital to develop their businesses. Moreover, very limited private advisory capacities and/or consultancies exist in rural areas. There is also growing evidence of larger private farms and agri-business companies establishing and developing their own advisory capacities to support the development of more integrated supply chains. In addition, cluster models are being promoted by the government. Modern agriculture requires a wide range of technology, knowledge and skills used by farmers and agri-businesses, from operating modern machinery and equipment in open fields and in greenhouses, to maintain minimum safety, hygiene and quality standards in all stages of production, harvesting, post-harvesting, processing and marketing. The paper discusses challenges faced in the machinery sector, technology infrastructure including technical training, machinery dealer support, repair and maintenance, and suggestions to the future.</p>