TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 12. Uzbekistan has harvested 3.7 million tons of cotton and 8 million tons of grain for the first time, the head of state Shavkat Mirziyoyev said at a meeting on priority tasks in agriculture for 2024, Trend reports.
"Such figures have never been reached in our history," he said.
According to him, as a result of reforms implemented in the agricultural sphere in recent years, farmers' interest and income have increased, production has increased, a cluster system has been established, high-performance equipment and deep processing have been introduced, and new varieties and agro-technologies have been introduced.
In particular, last year's production in agriculture grew by 4.1 percent and amounted to 426 trillion soums ($34.5 billion). Exports reached almost $2 billion.
A system of preferential lending for farmers will be introduced for grain and cotton this year. In addition, the costs of transportation and storage of wheat will be fully covered by the budget in 2024.
Earlier, at a meeting held by Uzbekistan's president Shavkat Mirziyoyev dedicated to the development of fruit and vegetable cultivation and the expansion of the food chain in the country, the head of state announced that Uzbekistan plans to increase agricultural exports to $3.5 billion.
The president paid attention to the tasks in the fruit and vegetable sector, instructing the Plant Protection Agency to search for new potential markets and organize the harvesting of products for export.