Uzagroeksport Company has scheduled exporting more than 1.27 million tons of fruits and vegetables in 2017.
This year, Uzbekistan will continue scaling up exports of fresh and processed fruit and vegetable products. According to experts, the implementation of specific measures and programs on expansion of fruit and vegetable production, as adopted late last year, will ensure the further growth of deliveries to neighboring countries, the CIS, Europe and Asia, and provide access to new markets.
In 2016, Uzbekistan adopted more than a dozen legal acts to increase the volumes of fruit and vegetable exports, and create favorable conditions for suppliers. This has contributed to a significant increase in shipments abroad.
In 2016, Uzbek enterprises exported 818,500 tons of fruits and vegetables, which is 38.3% more YOY. In particular, they exported 242,100 tons of vegetables (with 29.6% of specific share in total exports), 229,600 tons of fruits (28%), 6,800 tons of melons (0.8 %), 96,200 tons of grapes (11.7%), 120,200 tons of legumes (14.7%), and 124,500 tons of dried products (15.2%).
A total of 65 kinds of fruits and vegetables were exported. In this context, the main volumes in value terms fell on cherries (14.4%), dried grapes (12.8%), apricots (7.63%), fresh grapes (7.57%), mung peas (6.91% ), tomatoes (6.86%), beans (6.51%), greenery (5.65%), peaches (4.11%) and persimmon (3.96%).
Fruits and vegetables were exported in 43 countries in the world, while the map of exports has expanded by 9 new countries last year: canned capers were delivered to Spain and Italy for the first time, walnuts – to Lebanon, dried grapes – to Vietnam and Israel, dried vegetables – to Belgium, grapes and melons – to Switzerland, dried apricots – to the Netherlands, grapes and dried fruits – to the Czech Republic.
The progress allowed Uzbekistan to rank 48th among the largest exporters of fruits and vegetables last year.
The Extraordinary and the First International Fruit and Vegetable Fairs in July and November 2016 have played a pivotal role in the promotion of domestic products. More than 300 representatives of ministries, departments, organizations and trading, logistics and agricultural companies from 33 countries took part in the latter event.
The fairs were a platform for business meetings with representatives of foreign companies and partners, signing supply contracts for fresh and processed fruit and vegetable products with the largest Russian companies Tander and X5 Retail Group. The total value of contracts concluded in the First International Fruit and Vegetable Fair exceeded $1 billion.
Active launch of trading houses abroad is another landmark moment of the last year to highlight. Uzagroeksport opened five trade houses in partnership with Russia’s major wholesale companies, and two – in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Uzbekistan signed an agreement on the establishment of a trading house in Novosibirsk in order to organize supplies of fruit and vegetable products to the Siberian Federal District.
Uzbekistan is completing the works on the opening of trading houses in India, Germany, Poland, Latvia, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Belarus as part of expanding its export map. Trading houses in these countries will be registered by the end of 2017 and will start operation.
Talks are currently underway on opening of joint trading houses in Kuwait, Oman, Japan and the Republic of Korea, which would also diversify the outlets. These markets show the high demand in cherries, melons, pomegranates, apricots, beans, walnuts, peanuts, dried fruit, and legumes.
Uzbekistan has recently addressed the issue of delivery of legumes, and mung peas in particular, to the new market of India. In the fourth quarter of 2016 a pilot batch of 1,700 tons worth more than $1.1 million was shipped to the Indian companies.
