Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- As part of the state visit of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Uzbekistan, a business forum with the participation of entrepreneurs from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan has started in Tashkent, where contracts and agreements worth more than US$3 billion have already been signed. 

Separate attention was paid to cooperation in the field of agriculture, as a result, a solid package was signed between the agro-industrial complexes of the two countries in the amount of more than US$1.3 billion.

This fact indicates the growing nature of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and the active implementation of the untapped potential of cooperation in the field of agriculture.

Cooperation in the field of agriculture is carried out within the framework of the joint Roadmap signed in February 2022, which was updated in view of the new realities in the development of the agricultural sector. This document is focused on expanding innovative, scientific, investment, trade and industrial cooperation.

In addition, a draft Agreement on cooperation in the field of agriculture between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan is currently being developed.

Today, issues of trade, economic and industrial cooperation, as well as scientific and institutional cooperation in agriculture, come to the fore on the agenda of cooperation.

Currently, 5 projects are being implemented in Uzbekistan with the involvement of Kazakh capital in the amount of more than US$110 million.

These projects include the creation of refrigeration facilities (US$40 million) in Namangan region, the launch of an agricultural cluster for processing fruits and vegetables (US$43.8 million) in Namangan region, the creation of a modern greenhouse facility (US$17.5 million) in Samarkand region and etc.

Opportunities for investment cooperation in the field of joint cultivation of crops in Kazakhstan for further export to Uzbekistan, the conclusion of forward contracts for the sale of early varieties of vegetables, herbs and potatoes in Kazakhstan, the creation of a grain processing cluster for the deep processing of Kazakh grain in Uzbekistan are being actively explored.

As of 15 December 2022, the volume of mutual trade has already amounted to US$1.7 billion, including export - US$241.4 million and import - US$1.47 billion.

The main export items of Uzbekistan are: vegetables, fruits, grapes, melons, legumes, eggs, confectionery, processed products.

The main imports of Uzbekistan are grain products, oil and fat products, animal feed, food, meat, seeds, confectionery, dairy products, tobacco products.

As part of the joint cultivation of crops in Kazakhstan for further export to Uzbekistan, work is currently underway to identify land plots for the implementation of projects and types of cultivated crops (potatoes, wheat, etc.).

Currently, specific plans for the development of the grain industry and grain clusters have been established in Uzbekistan. As part of the privatization of the existing grain enterprises of the republic, it is planned to transfer 31 of them on the basis of PPP to the private sector through the Ministry of Agriculture.

Based on this, there is a possibility of the issue of participation of Kazakh entrepreneurs in establishing cooperation in this direction.

As part of the intensification of interaction in the field of agricultural science, the issue of establishing scientific and technical cooperation between the Research Institute of Rainfed Agriculture of Uzbekistan and the Kazakh Research Institute of Grain Crops named after A. Baraev is being considered.

Within the framework of this interaction, the development of agricultural technology for growing crops on irrigated lands, as well as the joint cultivation of organic products in rainfed conditions, is promising.

In this vein, the partnership between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is reaching a qualitatively new level of development, opening up new horizons for interaction, and also making a significant contribution to the development of the economies of the two fraternal countries.

Alisher Sabirov,

Head of MICA Department