Agriculture plays a crucial role in the Uzbek economy, employing approximately over a quarter of the workforce. Half of the nation’s population resides in rural areas, around 15 percent live in poverty. For these reasons, agricultural development and diversification are key USAID priorities in Uzbekistan. USAID’s activities help farmers to create thriving agricultural enterprises that can support agricultural sector growth by applying new and improved techniques and better technology. USAID is helping domestic producers add value to their products and is assisting exporters to diversify their markets, all of which helps create jobs and improve incomes.
USAID’s activities help farmers achieve immediate results by applying improved techniques and better technology to disease-resistant plants. USAID trains households to dry fruits and is introducing affordable methods for creating on-farm cold storage facilities, all of which help improve incomes.
Results:
- In 2019, USAID supported 1,916 microenterprises working throughout the horticulture value chain, primarily on the farm/production level. USAID continues to assist Uzbekistan with diversifying export markets.
- Over the last four years, USAID has incentivized 11,196 horticultural producers and processors to adopt new technologies and practices, improving agricultural practices on 16,170 hectares of horticultural farms.
- In 2019, USAID leveraged over $10 million in private sector investment in the establishment of new orchards, installation of water saving technologies, increase in cold chain capacity countrywide, and upgrades in product packaging, marketing, and branding to meet international standards.
- By providing 90,800 hours of training and working with 64 new consulting service providers, USAID has contributed to a 523 percent cumulative increase in farm yields, increasing income among targeted farmers by 107 percent.
