Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.27
By Nigar Guliyeva – Trend:
Uzbekistan plans to increase exports of fruits and vegetables by 30 percent up to 1.2 million tons in 2018, Uzbek media reported referring to the holding company "Uzbekozikovkatholding".
The company plans to reach an indicator of 1.2 million tons worth $1 billion. In 2017, the volume of exports of fruit and vegetable products amounted to 918,080 tons or $665.9 million.
Uzbekistan is a major exporter in the international fruit and vegetable market. The country ranks the second in the world for the export of apricots, persimmon - the third place and cherries - the fifth place.
According to the company, the Uzbek cherry ripens earlier than in competitor countries, for two or three weeks earlier. In 2017, 270,000 tons of sweet cherries were harvested, of which 30,000 tons were exported.
This year, for the first time export deliveries will be packaged in one-time containers and according to international standards, the packaging will be marked with the national brand Uzagro.
The country also intends to increase the export of melons this year.
Uzbekozikovkatholding was founded in 2016 to increase the efficiency of export supplies of fresh fruit and vegetable and other agricultural products. The holding company includes 470 food industry enterprises. Fruit and vegetable products are exported to 70 countries.