Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev was briefed on the current achievements and plans for the food industry. Given the growing population, ensuring food security remains one of the key priorities. However, adverse climatic conditions, as well as limited land and water resources, present additional challenges for agriculture.

Despite these difficulties, Uzbekistan has achieved impressive results this year: 9 million tons of grain, over 3 million tons of cotton, more than 16 million tons of vegetables and melons, 5 million tons of fruits and grapes, 4 million tons of potatoes, and over 15 million tons of meat and dairy products have been produced. A total of 343 projects have been implemented as part of food industry development.

At the same time, there are significant reserves for localizing production. Special attention is needed to increase the output of bakery products, meat and dairy products, vegetable oils, confectionery, and soft drinks.

In recent years, exports of confectionery products have quadrupled, reaching 13 million dollars. Thanks to exemptions on raw materials, packaging, and labels, the cost price of products has been reduced by 20%, making them more competitive. As these exemptions will expire on 1 January 2025, it has been proposed to extend them for two more years to support producers.

The industry includes 408 enterprises, but a lack of raw materials limits their capacity. Allowing the export of oil and fat products could increase production by 120,000 tons and also enable the production of an additional 240,000 tons of feed cake. The Deputy Prime Minister has been tasked with preparing proposals on this matter, considering market conditions.

With the growing number of national brands certified as "halal," the export of meat products to regional countries and Arab states has expanded. However, the short shelf life of sausages (3 months, with 2 months spent on delivery) reduces export potential. To increase production and export, it has been ordered to adapt storage standards to international requirements, extending the shelf life to 4–12 months.

For the dairy industry, it is proposed to establish testing laboratories in Namangan, Samarkand, and Tashkent regions. Additionally, product labeling will indicate whether natural or powdered milk is used.

Exports of non-alcoholic beverages and natural juices have increased ninefold in the last five years, reaching 35 million dollars. However, import duties on tropical fruits and juice concentrates reduce the competitiveness of Uzbek products. It has been proposed to exempt imports of tropical fruit concentrates from customs duties.

The meeting also discussed the "From Poverty to Prosperity" program, which aims to foster mutually beneficial partnerships with industry enterprises. The president has instructed the authorities to strengthen product quality control and expand efforts next year.