The prosperity of the agricultural sector of Uzbekistan depends on the union of dehkans, processing companies and scientists

Thanks to the fundamental transformations in the agricultural sector carried out under the wise leadership of the President, the country has now achieved previously unknown results. The consistent introduction of innovations and advanced developments, modern achievements of science and technology into agriculture can be called important components of success. Because, as the head of state noted, until we establish the scientific basis of agriculture, there will be no development in the sphere.
So, our enterprising dehkans, relying on many years of work experience and modern knowledge of scientists, have achieved impressive results in 2023 with tireless efforts. Villagers find a common language with nature in harmonious communication with nature. Everyone knows that last winter turned out to be harsh and abnormally cold. In the spring, heavy rains and hail plagued, in the summer, heat and low water prevailed. This caused serious inconvenience to the workers of the sphere.
However, thanks to the special attention of the state aimed at the growth and prosperity of agriculture, the benefits and preferences provided to dehkans and farmers were able to achieve significant success compared to the previous year.
For example, this year the dehkan raised a large hirman of 3 million 800 thousand tons of raw cotton, 8.2 million tons of grain. Over 15 million tons of vegetables and melons, five million tons of fruits and grapes, four million tons of potatoes were grown. Similar positive dynamics was also observed in other sectors of the agricultural sector.
I would like to move away from the numbers and focus in more detail on the terms of growth. A number of administrative reforms have been implemented in the agricultural sector this year. Unusual functions have been eliminated in the management mechanisms, tasks and powers have been combined into a single system.
New mechanisms of financial support for agricultural producers have been introduced. In particular, livestock and greenhouse farms, cotton and textile clusters, as well as conditions have been created for the stable development of viticulture and winemaking industries, expansion of the raw material base and export volumes, provision of the agricultural sector with modern resource-saving machinery and equipment.
It is worth noting the positive role of making appropriate decisions, which gave freedom to farmers and dehkans in choosing crops for cultivation, planting, and abolished unjustified interference by government agencies.
Of course, the radical reform of the sphere based on scientific achievements, the use of advanced agricultural technologies, and the system of financial incentives for agricultural production have had a positive effect.
As a result of the adoption of large-scale measures aimed at solving the main issues (increasing soil fertility, raising the level of state policy to combat land degradation, to preserve the stability of the ecosystem), yields increase. In 2023, the soil condition on an area of one hundred thousand hectares was improved: these lands were returned to circulation, vegetables and orchards were planted on them.
Due to the consistent introduction of modern scientific and innovative developments, the effective use of biological fertilizers, humus, soil fertility has increased, cotton yields have increased by 10 percent, grain crops by 20 percent, vegetables and melons by 25-30.
The population of our country is growing year by year. Therefore, along with the task of uninterrupted provision of compatriots with agricultural products, systematic work is required to create jobs in the agricultural sector. For example, it is worth noting that over the past two years, in order to ensure the employment of villagers, reduce poverty and increase agricultural production, 200 thousand hectares of land previously occupied for cotton and cereals have been withdrawn from circulation and distributed among 670 thousand fellow citizens. As a result, almost 2.2 million seasonal and permanent jobs were created, and an additional three million tons of field products were produced. This also helps to increase the abundance of our dastarkhan.
In general, in 2023, about three million rural residents were provided with employment and received a source of income in the agricultural sector.
The people have the wisdom of "Gap sarishtada", which means roughly "Strength is in order." Due to the fact that about thirty years ago, the state of work on the storage, processing and delivery of field products grown by rural workers did not stand up to criticism, a considerable part of the harvest was lost. And now the number of modern shopping and logistics centers, enterprises for deep processing and storage of products is growing in rural areas. As a result, a solid foundation has been created for the development of the country's export opportunities, along with a guaranteed supply of high-quality fruit and vegetable products to the population. This year, the processing capacity of vegetables and fruits has reached 3.3 million tons per year, the number of agrologistic centers has grown to 76, their total potential is almost one million tons of products.
We can proudly announce that this year we have delivered $1.5 billion worth of agricultural products to almost 80 countries around the world. Now the products of the fields of Uzbekistan are sold on all continents.
Currently, over 800 clusters are operating in all areas of agriculture, in particular, cotton growing, grain growing, vegetable growing, horticulture, animal husbandry, sericulture. In cotton production, one hundred percent of production is accounted for by clusters, in the production of vegetables and fruits - 60 percent. The cluster method of production of fields and farms is being improved year by year. The Head of our state elaborated on this during a video conference on November 9, 2023 on improving the activities of cotton and textile clusters, supporting and increasing yields, and productivity of agricultural sectors. In particular, it was decided to introduce a new system for organizing clusters and ensuring their interaction with farmers. From now on, farmers will be able to enter into futures contracts with any cluster within the same region, as well as sell part of the crop in excess of futures through the exchange.
In short, these innovations in the system define new horizons for development, which will allow in the coming year to achieve complete processing of cotton fiber within the country, the cost of which will reach $ 9.6 billion, and the export level will amount to 4.5 billion.
It is impossible to overestimate the role of agricultural machinery in the field, it is not for nothing that they say: "Technology is the wings of a Dehkan."
This year, in order to increase the level of technical equipment of the sphere, more than 10.5 thousand units of highly efficient equipment worth 2.5 trillion soums have been supplied to clusters, farms and dehkan farms.
As a result, it was possible to create opportunities for reducing the sowing season from 20 days to eight, harvesting grain crops from 30 to 16 days, and lifting the chill in 20-25 days.
Thanks to the measures taken, for the first time in the history of New Uzbekistan, 25 percent of the harvest was harvested using machines.
So new systems have been created in the field of animal husbandry, and the state has provided ample opportunities for farm workers. This year, 70 thousand heads of breeding cattle, 180 thousand sheep and goats, and two million chickens were delivered to our country from foreign countries.
As a result of these measures, the number of improved thoroughbred cattle in the republic has been increased to 74 percent, the number of large livestock complexes in the regions has reached 540 (although back in 2019 there were only 50). The abundance of meat and dairy products in markets and shops is the fruit of these efforts.
As in other industries, and in the agricultural sector, the state pays close attention to the issues of digitalization. Last year, 10 new information and geoinformation systems were introduced, which made it possible to increase the accuracy of information collected in the field, reduce the participation of the human factor in data collection processes. Work in this direction will continue consistently in the future.
Currently, the problems of climate change, increasing water scarcity, and desertification of territories are of concern to the whole world, including our country, which poses tasks for workers in the field and agricultural scientists to solve them.
To prevent these threats and increase soil fertility, the tasks of uninterrupted provision of the sphere with resource-saving and highly efficient equipment, the introduction of agricultural technologies based on the experience of developed countries, increasing agricultural production, improving the quality of services provided and training highly qualified specialists are set as priorities.
Simultaneously with these urgent challenges, the limited supply chains for the development of the industry - the lack of direct access to seaports shows the need to work with a new vision.
As the head of state says, each such challenge should be perceived as a new opportunity and, based on innovative approaches, turned into points of growth. In fact, if you think about it, even this very challenge, which consists in the fact that our country is "double-locked", helps to save our land from technological threats and harm and as a result provides us with great opportunities to supply world markets with expensive high-quality food products. This is exactly what Uzbekistan's new advantages and opportunities in world markets are.
The only way to open up new opportunities, ensure added value and attractiveness of domestic agriculture is the widespread introduction of scientific achievements and innovations into the field, to look at each challenge from the point of view of the opportunities that open up. The reason is that a detachment of thousands of agricultural workers of the country faces responsible tasks for the uninterrupted provision of various food products to the population of Uzbekistan, contributing to the increase in the economic power of our homeland. I am sure that our hardworking and selfless farmers, agricultural scientists are quite capable of solving these honorable tasks.

Ibrohim Abdurakhmonov.
Minister of Agriculture
The Republic of Uzbekistan.