Jizzakh region: A course for accelerated industrial development

In 2016, the gross regional product of the region amounted to 7.8 trillion soums, last year it reached 27.1 trillion, and today its own brands are rapidly developing.

Since 2016, the production of industrial products has increased 5.5 times, the volume of agricultural products - 3.3, construction works - 3.7, services - 3.6 times. The goal has been set: to implement more than four thousand medium and small investment projects by 2026, to create 120 thousand jobs. In this regard, special attention is paid to the launch of projects in such areas as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, energy, building materials, food, textiles, leather and shoe production.
The region is a potential territory for the production of industrial products. So, in recent years, new industries have emerged. For the first time in the region, the production of building materials from cement and basalt based on modern technologies has begun. Over the next five years, 310 projects will be implemented. The development of 56 mines and the creation of several specialized clusters in Farish, Bakhmal, Zafarabad and Yangiabad districts have been identified. So, basalt stone is deeply processed in the Farish district, a technopark has been created. Products such as composite pipes, mineral plates, fittings, artificial fiber are produced. Large-scale work is underway to develop the textile and food industries. Promising projects have been launched in the cotton processing sector (1,174 jobs have been created) and three projects in the food industry system (350 people are provided with permanent jobs). 
- There are a total of 4,533 industrial enterprises in the region, of which 30 are large and 2,721 are small. By the end of the first half of 2023, they have produced products worth 8.8 trillion soums," says Sarvar Abdullayev, assistant to the regional governor for the development of local industry. - In addition, according to the newly formed Localization Program for 2023-2024, it is planned to produce 86 types of import-substituting goods at 52 enterprises in the region.
Thanks to the opportunities created for industrial development, by this year the number of enterprises of the Localization Program has increased eight times compared to 2017, the number of projects has increased fourfold, and the volume of production has increased 412 times. As part of the Localization Program, 539 types of new products have been produced in the region over the past six years. In particular, electrical wires, household appliances, valves, accessories, solar water heaters, export-oriented confectionery products, sandwich panels.
In 2019, the leadership of the Jizzakh region was instructed to create a large cluster of the automotive industry in the region. Today, relevant work is being carried out in this direction: from the production of finished cars and components for them to the training of personnel necessary for the industry. 
Recently, a ten-thousandth KIA car was released from the assembly line of the multi-brand plant ADM Jizzakh, launched at the end of last year in the free economic zone "Jizzakh". The capacity of the enterprise is 25 thousand cars per year, and the cost of the first stage of the project exceeds $ 12 million. Today, 13 types of KIA, Renault, Chery and Lada cars are assembled here. The company employs about 150 qualified specialists. The second stage of the Jizzakh Automobile Plant is intended for the production of Volkswagen commercial vehicles, and the third - commercial and commercial vehicles of Auto Motors Asia.
In May of this year, the construction of BYD Uzbekistan Factory for the production of cars based on alternative and renewable energy sources began. The plant with a production area of 10.6 hectares is organized on the basis of Jizzax Auto and operates in accordance with international quality and safety standards. This allows the introduction of advanced technologies for the production of NEV cars. 
- At the same time as the development of industrial sectors in the region, the volume of exports is also increasing. Last year, exports of $ 211 million were carried out, which increased 2.5 times compared to 2016, - says the head of the Department of Investment, Industry and Trade of the region, Maruf Malikov. - During this period, 35 types of goods were exported, 12 types of new products were exported. In 2016, there were 59 exporting enterprises, while in 2022, 173 enterprises sold products to Russia, China, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan. The geography of exports has expanded from 24 countries to 42, including Chile, Peru, Northern Macedonia, Senegal, Moldova.
Currently, the share of the agricultural sector in the region's economy is large. During 2016-2022, as a result of the commissioning of 1216 projects, 14.8 thousand people were employed in agriculture. In particular, agricultural arable lands have been expanded due to the cultivation of gray-earth pasture lands withdrawn from use to further increase production. Over the past three years, 8,283 hectares of irrigated, 49,506 hectares of rain-fed lands have been developed for agriculture, which serves to increase the welfare of the population. 
Practice proves that higher yields can be obtained on lands with low profitability as a result of the cooperation of farmers, clusters and scientists, a scientific and innovative approach to this area. The yield of cotton and wheat has increased due to the introduction of advanced modern technologies. Seven years ago, the average grain yield on irrigated lands was 32.4 quintals, and today this figure has reached 73.7 c. There are even farms that have received over 100 quintals of harvest per hectare this year.   
The area of land for cotton and grain has been reduced in the region, dehkan farms have been created. As a result, 47,920 jobs were organized. This year, 4460 hectares of land were sold at auction, about seven thousand farms started their activities, about three thousand jobs were created. Mulberry and fruit tree seedlings, vegetables, rice, and other crops are planted along the edges of the fields. Field camps have been organized in farms, breeding of birds and bees has begun.   
According to forecasts, by 2050, the water resources of the Syr Darya will be reduced by five percent, and the Amu Darya - by 15. This, in turn, requires the effective use and expansion of water-saving technologies in agriculture. In 2016-2022, drip irrigation technology was introduced by regional farms on 75.3 thousand hectares, which allowed saving 11.2 million cubic meters of water in 2019. By 2023 - already 28.9 million cubic meters.
The economic recovery, in turn, is clearly visible in the increase in the level of well-being of cities and villages, the prosperous life of people. Over the past six years, a total of more than six trillion soums have been allocated within the framework of approved programs aimed at improving the infrastructure of the existing 308 rural mahallas. As a result, not only the city of Jizzakh, but also the centers of districts and mahallas become modern, prosperous and picturesque places.
Programs are also being implemented to preserve the health of residents of the region, provide them with qualified medical services, promote a healthy lifestyle, and create new types of high-tech medical services. The number of medical institutions and, accordingly, beds has increased. New polyclinics have been opened in 97 makhallas of the region.
Regional branches of eight republican specialized scientific and practical medical centers have been organized. In particular, new buildings have been built for two such centers, equipped with modern medical equipment of the latest model that meets international standards. These branches also carry out the most complex types of surgical operations. If last year a kidney transplant operation was performed twice in the regional center, then this year the same operation was carried out successfully in the Zaamin district. And once it was impossible to carry out such a complex operation even in Tashkent.