Uzbekistan Agriculture Profile 2012

Reference Date: 25-May-2011

Cereal production in 2011 is forecast around the above average harvest of 2010

Sowing season of spring crops has been completed. The total planted area (winter and spring) for cereal is estimated at around the good level of the last year. Below average precipitation and low soil moisture conditions were observed during the winter months. However, rains increased since the end of March benefiting the development of winter crops and planting of spring crops. By mid-May crop conditions were reported overall satisfactory. Total cereal production in 2011 is forecast at about 6.9 million tonnes of which nearly 94 percent is wheat.

The country still needs to import over one-third of its wheat consumption

Production of cereals has been increasing steadily during the past years and the output has doubled compared with ten years ago. However, the country still needs to import over one-third of its wheat food consumption needs. Following the three-year good harvest, import requirements of wheat and other cereals in marketing year 2010/11 (July/June) are forecast to decline by almost 14 percent compared from the previous marketing year to almost 1.5 million tonnes. At the beginning of April 2011, the Government has introduced a tax on food imports, including 15 percent for wheat flour.

08/12/2010  Cereal production rises further slightly in 2010
During the sowing and growing season of crops, mainly wheat, weather conditions were satisfactory. Harvesting of wheat, accounting for almost all the cereal production, was virtually complete as of late August. Farmers are still harvesting rice and maize. The total cereals 2010 production is forecast at about 7.2 million tonnes out of which nearly 6.8 million tonnes is wheat. The production of wheat is some 2 percent above the previous year’s level and 9 percent higher than the five-year average.

The good 2010 production outcome reflects favourable weather conditions throughout the growing season, an expansion of the planted area by 6 percent from last year and government support in particular through the provision of improved seeds. Due to various government measures to support agricultural production in the past years, average yields of wheat have increased by 12 percent in the last five years.

Import of cereals still required to satisfy consumption needs
Production of cereals has been increasing steadily during the past years and the output has doubled compared with ten years ago. However, the country still needs to import one-third of its food wheat consumption needs. Following the 2010 good harvest, import requirements of wheat in marketing year 2010/11 (July/June) are forecast to decline. Uzbekistan imports wheat mainly from Kazakhstan, which, despite a reduced production this year has adequate export surpluses.

Food prices stable
Prices of staples wheat flour and bread are stable reflecting the Government price regulation system.