20th Anniversary International Exhibition on Agriculture - AgroWorld Uzbekistan 2025

11 - 13 March 2025, Uzexpocentre NEC / Tashkent, Uzbekistan

News

Expansion of refrigeration capacity as a factor in poverty reduction

Currently, Uzbekistan annually produces more than 22 million tons of fruit and vegetable products, including vegetables (51.3%), potatoes (15.8%), fruits (13.8%), melons (11.3%), and grapes (7.7%).
The processing level for certain types of products does not exceed 13-14% of production.
At the same time, losses amount to 20-30%, according to experts [1].
5.4 million dehkan and private subsidiary farms are engaged in fruit and vegetable growing, which together produce 57.3% of fruit and vegetable products.
Reducing the loss of fruit and vegetable products could bring them an additional $1.2-1.7 billion (in 2023 prices), which would help reduce poverty in the country, the level of which was estimated at 11.0% of the population in 2023.
Thus, the issue of preserving fruit and vegetable products is becoming more acute every year, taking into account the average annual growth of production in the fruit and vegetable industry of 3.7%. over the past 5 years.
Reference: The main purpose of cold storage rooms is temporary storage of crops without deep freezing, due to which losses are minimized. This is a very effective way to preserve the presentation and taste of vegetables and fruits.
As of January 1, 2024, there were 1,907 cold storage warehouses with a total capacity of 1,003.2 thousand tons in the republic.
Among the regions with the largest total capacity of cold storage warehouses, the following can be distinguished: Fergana (161.9 thousand tons or 16.1% of the national capacity), Tashkent (130.5 thousand tons or 13.0%), Samarkand (102.6 thousand tons or 10.2%) and Andijan (100.4 thousand tons or 10.0%) regions.
The average volume of one cold storage warehouse in the republic as a whole is 526.1 tons. The largest average volume of one refrigerated warehouse by region is observed in Tashkent (841.8 tons) and Namangan (788.3 tons) regions.
The refrigerated warehouses with the smallest average size are located in the Republic of Karakalpakstan (264.9 tons) and Andijan (306.1 tons) regions.
On average, the capacity of refrigerated warehouses in the republic covers 4.5% of the gross annual production of fruit and vegetable products.
The highest coverage rates are in Tashkent (7.1%), Kashkadarya (6.8%), Fergana (6.6%), Khorezm (5.3%), Namangan (5.0%) and Jizzakh (5.0%) regions.
The lowest coverage rates are in Syrdarya (2.0%), Samarkand (2.9%), Bukhara (3.0%), Andijan (3.1%), Navoi (3.9%), Surkhandarya (4.4%) regions and the Republic of Karakalpakstan (2.8%).
Some industry experts argue that, ideally, storage capacities should cover at least 75% of the country's export potential[2].
In 2023, Uzbekistan exported 1,757.7 thousand tons of fruit and vegetable products.
It follows that the capacity of refrigerated warehouses in the republic should have already amounted to 1,318.3 thousand tons in 2023. That is, the capacity shortage for 2023 amounted to 315.1 thousand tons, or a 31.4% increase in capacity is required.

In the future, due to the significant increase in fruit and vegetable exports planned within the framework of state strategies, the shortage of refrigeration capacity may become more critical.
To prevent this, it is necessary to:
1. Study the situation in the regions to identify problems in increasing the capacity of cold storage facilities;
2. Conduct surveys of agricultural producers to determine the need for cold storage facilities, taking into account their volumes, types, etc.;
3. Develop a separate program of state support for the creation of new refrigeration capacities in the regions of Uzbekistan, taking into account the ranking of support in favor of the most lagging areas in terms of refrigeration equipment.
Reference: Programs to support the construction of cold storage facilities are also being implemented in other countries.
In 2023, the Government of Georgia decided to implement the state program "Co-financing of cold storage facilities for storing berry crops for agricultural cooperatives" [3].
The state program will be implemented by the Rural Development Agency. Warehouse refrigerators designed to store agricultural products with a volume of at least 30 tons will be financed. Co-financing per potential beneficiary was determined in the amount of no more than 70% of the cost of a cold storage facility, but no more than 250 thousand lari (about $96 thousand). To participate in the program, an agricultural cooperative and/or at least five of its subordinate institutions must have, within the framework of projects/programs, a blueberry, blackberry, or raspberry garden on an area of ​​at least 10 hectares in one municipality.
Similar programs were also implemented in Moldova [4] and Ukraine [5].
4. Create and place in the public domain a digital map of transport routes indicating the location of cold storage facilities for storing fruits and vegetables, shock freezing and processing projects.
5. Consider the possibility of granting agricultural producers the right to place cold storage facilities made of lightweight structures on agricultural land plots.

Also, in the context of providing state support for the construction of new cold storage facilities, it is necessary to take into account the fact that refrigeration equipment with a capacity of 500 tons or more is suitable mainly for large enterprises and products that can be collected for storage in large batches.
For such perishable products with a short shelf life as cherries, refrigerators of lower capacity are required.
It is also worth paying attention to mobile refrigerator containers for storing crops. The main advantages of such a refrigerator:
does not require infrastructure costs;
mobile;
temperature conditions are adapted to a specific crop.
A mobile refrigerator can be used throughout the fruit and berry season, moving it between producers.
Stimulating the creation of new refrigeration capacities will reduce crop losses in the republic and create opportunities for agricultural producers to increase their income when selling products in the off-season.