Uzbekistan has experienced a notable uptick in its fruit and vegetable exports during the first five months of 2024, marking a 10.4% increase compared to the same period last year. According to data from the Statistics Agency, the country exported a total of 722,100 tons of fresh produce during this timeframe.
Russia emerged as the dominant importer of Uzbek fruits and vegetables, accounting for more than 32% of the total export volume. Following Russia, key destinations included Pakistan, Kazakhstan, China, and Afghanistan, solidifying their positions as crucial markets for Uzbek agricultural products.
The revenue generated from these exports amounted to $420 million. Notably, onions and cabbages emerged as top revenue earners, contributing $44 million and $41.2 million, respectively, to the total export earnings.
Despite the overall growth in export volume, the introduction of minimum export prices has posed challenges for both exporters and farmers. Analysts from EastFruit highlighted that this policy has led to financial setbacks and potentially reduced foreign exchange earnings for the national budget. Compounding these issues are stagnation in the fruit and vegetable export sector and specific challenges within segments like greenhouse cultivation.
Furthermore, Uzbekistan faces heightened competition from neighboring Turkmenistan, which has been steadily gaining ground in the regional fruit and vegetable export market. This competitive dynamic underscores the need for Uzbekistan to reassess its export strategies and policies to maintain its competitive edge and support the growth of its agricultural sector.