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The introduction of water-saving technologies will be encouraged by a new financing mechanism - President
A preferential credit line for 5 years will be created for clusters and farms wishing to introduce water-saving technologies in Uzbekistan. After 2026, land and water taxes on areas without laser leveling will increase significantly.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at a meeting on November 29 discussed the introduction of water-saving technologies in agriculture in Uzbekistan.
According to the press service of the head of state, the country has 4.3 million hectares of irrigated area, of which 30% have introduced water-saving technologies. In such clusters and farms, savings in water are achieved by 30-40%, fertilizers and fuel - by 25-30%, as well as an increase in yield.
However, in the Kashkadarya region, where the cost of water is high, only 16% of the land is irrigated using this method. Insufficient work is being carried out on laser leveling of land, which is “the simplest agricultural measure that allows you to save water,” the report says. In Kashkadarya, Samarkand and Tashkent regions, such areas are less than 10%.
One of the reasons for such low indicators is the unestablished mechanism for reimbursing part of the loan to farmers who have introduced water-saving technologies. Therefore, at the meeting, the president announced a new financing system. For clusters and farms wishing to introduce water-saving technologies, a credit line will be created for 5 years, with a two-year grace period, with interest payment at the rate of 14% per annum. The amount of financing will be 2.6 trillion soums.
In addition, an open electronic platform will be launched, where contracts with banks and suppliers will be concluded online.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted the need to annually expand areas with water-saving technologies and study the experience of Turkey, Spain and China in this area.
In the next three years, the practice of subsidizing 15% of the cost of agricultural machinery and 30% of the cost of laser levels will continue. By 2026, laser leveling must be carried out on all sown areas. After 2026, land and water taxes on areas without laser leveling will be significantly increased.
Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Adiz Boboev, who headed the republican headquarters for organizing an emergency regime of work to save water, said in an interview with the Uzbekistan 24 TV channel that over 250 billion soums will be allocated from the state budget in 2024 for the introduction of drip and rain irrigation.
Let us remind you that at the same meeting, the president announced that in Uzbekistan 2024 will be a period of transition to an emergency mode of operation to save water, this work will be coordinated by the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Economic Finance Adiz Boboev. The head of state announced a “strike year for concreting canals” because he considers this the only solution to the problem of water loss. He also announced statistics on water resources in the country, which are declining from year to year.
