Uzbek farmers start harvesting grain
By Aynur Jafarova
Uzbek farmers have started harvesting grain, Agriculture and Water Resources Ministry told Trend Agency on June 11.
The crops are planted on more than one million hectares this season.
Over 19,500 combines, trucks and other vehicles will be involved in the harvesting campaign.
The domestic demand for food wheat in Uzbekistan with a population of 30 million amounts to over four million tons.
In 2013, Uzbekistan's grain growers harvested 7.61 million tons of grain, and this figure was equal to 7.17 million tons in 2012. The average yield of grain in the country amounted to 55 quintals per hectare.
Uzbekistan, one of five Central Asian countries, enjoys unique soil and climatic conditions for agriculture.
Uzbek farmers have cultivated more than 170 varieties of vegetables, melons and potatoes, as well as 175 new varieties of fruit and berry crops and grape so far.
Currently, Uzbekistan exports more than 180 kinds of fresh and processed fruit and vegetable products to 80 countries, and the country is among the ten leading suppliers in terms of the volume of such exports.