TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, September 9. Onions are affirmed to become one of the hits in Uzbekistan’s exports in the fruit and vegetable segment by the end of 2023, Trend reports.
Since Uzbekistan lifted restrictions on onion exports in March this year, 241,400 tons of this product worth $46.3 million were shipped to foreign markets from March through August 2023, which is 54 percent more than in the same period last year and 29 percent more than in the same period in 2021.
Moreover, Uzbekistan significantly expanded the geography of its exports in 2023, increasing the number of countries importing Uzbek onions by more than two times.
The main importers of Uzbek onions are:
Kazakhstan – 136,600 tons (56.6 percent of total exports)
Russia – 77,900 tons (32.3 percent)
Kyrgyzstan – 8,600 tons (3.5 percent)
Belarus – 5,000 tons (2.1 percent)
Latvia – 4,900 tons (2.1 percent)
Earlier this year, Uzbekistan announced the establishment of a temporary restriction on the export of onions until the end of April in order to stabilize prices for this product in the domestic market, meet the consumer demand of the population, and ensure food security in the country.
As per data provided by Uzbekistan’s Statistics Agency, the country exported $672.9 million worth of fruits and vegetables in the first seven months of 2023, which is 22.4 percent more than in the same period of the previous year.