World Grain - July 2015 - 24

COUNTRY FOCUS

Focus on Uzbekistan
Country is perennially one of the world's
biggest flour importers
by Chris Lyddon

Uzbekistan has pushed hard to increase grain production, moving
land and resources into the sector, but the country remains one of the
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Uzbekistan
mills have convenient technological scheme and
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stan has put much effort into developing and increasing wheat
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Kazakhstan

Kyrgystan

Turkmenistan

Iran

Tajikistan

Afghanistan

Pakistan

Key Facts
Capital: Tashkent (Toshkent)
Population: 28,929,716 (July 2014 est.)
Religions: Muslim 88% (mostly Sunni), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%.
Location: Central Asia, north of Turkmenistan, south of
Kazakhstan.
Government: Authoritarian presidential rule with little
power outside the executive branch. Chief of state: President Islom Karimov (since March 24, 1990); head of government: Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev (since Dec.
11, 2003).
Economy: Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country;
more than 60% of the population lives in densely populated rural communities. Export of natural gas, gold and
cotton provides a significant share of foreign exchange
earnings. Despite ongoing efforts to diversify crops, Uzbekistani agriculture remains largely centered on cotton;
Uzbekistan is now the world's fifth largest cotton exporter
and sixth largest producer. Following independence in
September 1991, the government sought to prop up its
Soviet-style command economy with subsidies and tight
controls on production and prices. A sharp increase in
the inequality of income distribution has hurt the lower
ranks of society since independence. While aware of the
need to improve the investment climate, the government
continues to intervene in the business sector and has not
addressed the impediments to foreign investment in the
country. In 2003, the government accepted Article VIII
obligations under the IMF, providing for full currency convertibility. However, strict currency controls and tightening of borders have lessened the effects of convertibility
and have also led to some shortages that have further
stifled economic activity. The Central Bank often delays or
restricts convertibility, especially for consumer goods. Uzbekistan's growth has been driven primarily by state-led
investments and a favorable export environment. In the
past, Uzbekistani authorities have accused U.S. and other
foreign companies operating in Uzbekistan of violating
Uzbekistani laws and have frozen and even seized their
assets. At the same time, the Uzbekistani government has
actively courted several major U.S. and international corporations, offering financing and tax advantages.
GDP per capita: $5,600 (2014 est.); inflation: 12.1%
(2014 est.); unemployment: 74.9% (2014 est.).
Currency: Uzbekistani soum (UZS): 2,550.83 soums
equal 1 U.S. dollar (June 22, 2015).
Exports: $13.32 billion (2014 est.): energy products,
cotton, gold, mineral fertilizers, ferrous and nonferrous
metals, textiles, foodstuffs, machinery, automobiles.
Imports: $12.5 billion (2014 est.): machinery and
equipment, foodstuffs, ferrous and nonferrous metal.
Major crops/agricultural products: Cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain; livestock.
Agriculture: 18.5% of GDP and 25.9% of the labor
force.
Internet: Code: .uz; 56,075 (2012) hosts and 4.689
million (2009) users.
Source: CIA Factbook

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