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Uzbekistan will renovate old orchards and increase fruit exports

By 2030, :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} aims to increase food exports to $10 billion. To achieve this, 61,000 hectares of outdated orchards and 18,000 hectares of unproductive orchards need to be renewed. In some regions, such areas yield only 5 tons per hectare, generating less than UZS 10 million in annual income.

An example to follow is the cherry orchard in the Pap district covering 84 hectares. Young trees produce up to 7 tons per hectare, with cherries exported at $8 per kilogram.

Proposed measures:

· The Agency for Agricultural Development will classify orchards as unsuitable. If an intensive orchard is not established within 12 months, water and land taxes will increase; after another 12 months, water withdrawal will be restricted.

· Satellite monitoring of orchards will be introduced.

· Residents will receive up to 50 saplings or a loan of up to UZS 2 million through the mahalla banker.

· Farmers will be offered loans of up to UZS 150 million to renovate old orchards.

Plans for 2026–2028 include establishing 168,000 hectares of industrial orchards and vineyards, attracting $2 billion in investments, and creating 258,000 jobs.

Financing measures include concessional loans of up to UZS 120 million per hectare. If repayments are made on time, half of the interest rate will be compensated. In addition, subsidies of UZS 5 million per hectare per year will be provided for orchard maintenance over a period of 3 years.

Additional measures include zero VAT on saplings and rootstocks, while water fees for well water will be set at 1 soum for 5 years for orchards using water-saving technologies.

Source