President urges climate-resilient farming, rejects weather excuses

In Uzbekistan, industry leaders must adapt to climate conditions and focus on cultivating crops resistant to heat, cold, and drought instead of using the weather as an excuse. This was emphasized by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on July 30 during a videoconference dedicated to increasing the export of fruits, vegetables, and food products.

The Head of State noted that over the past three years, 250,000 hectares of cotton and grain fields have been repurposed for food production. Additionally, 160,000 hectares of new orchards and vineyards have been planted, 107,000 hectares of old farmland have been renovated, and 1,500 food industry projects worth $1 billion have been launched.

Furthermore, infrastructure has been developed to support the agricultural sector, including the creation of 100,000 tons of storage, 70,000 tons of drying capacity, and 46,000 tons of sorting and packaging facilities.

Uzbekistan's agricultural reforms have gained international recognition. This month, the country was elected to the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

“This is a great opportunity for us to promote national and regional initiatives and attract funding for new projects,” the President stated.

The President also highlighted the changing global climate, noting that terms such as “abnormal heat” and “abnormal cold,” once considered rare, have now become regular occurrences.

In such critical circumstances, he emphasized that every export market is vital for Uzbekistan, and that ensuring food exports is a matter of national economic security.

Therefore, he reiterated that industry leaders and regional governors (khokims) must adjust to climate realities by growing climate-resilient crops, instead of blaming poor performance on the weather.

In the first six months of this year, food exports increased by 44 percent, reaching $1.326 billion. The range of export destinations also expanded to 16 countries.

However, the President noted that the Surkhandarya and Tashkent regions, along with the Republic of Karakalpakstan, are lagging behind other regions in terms of fruit, vegetable, and food exports. The Navoi region also failed to meet last year’s export indicators.

He stressed that officials in these regions must intensify their efforts to boost performance in this area.