Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s Minister of Agriculture, Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov, met with Jean-Pierre Nacci, Managing Director of the Climate Strategy Department at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). During the meeting, the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in sustainable agriculture and combating climate change.

A key topic of discussion was the development of a "National Platform" to assess the impact of climate change on Uzbekistan’s agriculture. The parties exchanged views on creating a concept that would address pressing issues such as water and soil degradation, land reclamation, and proper land resource management.

Special attention was given to agricultural product losses. In Uzbekistan, over 24 million tons of vegetables are grown annually, yet only 3.5 million tons are exported, with a significant portion of the produce being lost due to inefficiencies in the value chain. The Minister emphasized the need to develop technical crops, support agri-startups, and implement water-saving technologies, all of which should be considered in the development of the National Platform.

Another important topic discussed was the promotion of the "Biochar" technology, which involves processing cotton stalks by farmers. Additionally, EBRD representatives highlighted the need for financial support for farmers and food supply chains, the development of investment packages to combat soil degradation, and improvements in infrastructure and logistics.

At the end of the meeting, it was announced that EBRD would soon present an official proposal package. The development of greenhouse networks and strengthening regional cooperation between Central Asian countries was also discussed.