World Grain - January 2023 - 20

COUNTRY FOCUS
bles. The main areas for grain production are in the southern
regions of the country, including Kashkadarya, Samarkand,
Jizzakh, Ferghana, Tashkent and Surkhandarya.
While Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union, about 70%
of its land was devoted to cotton production with fodder crops
grown in rotation to support livestock production. Wheat
mostly was imported from other regions of the Soviet Union,
with local production meeting only 20% of domestic demand,
according to a report from the International Center for Agricultural
Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA).
Following its independence in 1991, access to food imports
was uncertain and it became important for the nation to ensure
its food security through domestic production, ICARDA said.
Now, Uzbekistan produces a significant amount of grain for
use domestically. Total cereal output in 2022 is forecast at 7.2
million tonnes, a 3% increase from the five-year average, the
FAO said, due to overall conducive weather conditions during
the season. Wheat output is expected to be slightly aboveaverage
while corn and rice production will be near-average.
The USDA said Uzbekistan produced 6 million tonnes of
wheat in 2021-22 and estimates production will increase to
6.6 million tonnes in 2022-23. The harvested area is estimated
at 1.4 million hectares, a 3% increase from last year.
Naan is a staple food of nearly all Uzbeks, but the low gluten
and high starch content typical of the domestically grown
wheat makes it less desirable for baking naan. As a result, tandoor
bakers have been key demand drivers for Kazakhstan
flour and wheat.
Uzbekistan will import a near-average level of 3.3 million
tonnes of wheat, the FAO said. It noted that imports of wheat
Tandoor flatbread is a popular item at bakeries in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan wheat output, trade
(in 1,000 tonnes)
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
Exports
Imports
Production *Projected
Uzbekistan flour imports
(in 1,000 tonnes)
1,000
1,200
200
400
600
800
flour have dropped 70% from 2011-12 to 2021-22, while purchases
of high-quality wheat grain have increased sharply due
to an improved local milling capacity.
To improve the country's food security, the government has
continued to emphasize wheat production and supported poultry
and animal farming the last several years. From 2022-25
the government will offer small family farms 10-year leases
on 200,000 hectares of cotton and grain land transferred from
large farms and clusters, according to the International Trade
Administration (ITA).
The government aims to increase farmers' income by at
least twice and ensure a minimum 5% annual growth of agriculture
from 2022-26 through development programs, application
of advanced scientific achievements, digitization and
adoption of new technologies.
20
January 2023 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
2022-23*
2021-22
2020-21
2019-20
2018-19
2017-18
2016-17
2015-16
2014-15
2013-14
2022-23**
2021-22*
2020-21
2019-20
2018-19
2017-18
2016-17
2015-16
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, International Grains Council, Photo by ©milly777-stock.adobe.com

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World Grain - January 2023

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