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WB allocates $500M for development of fruit, vegetable growing in Uzbekistan

31 August 2018 15:12 (UTC+04:00)
WB allocates $500M for development of fruit, vegetable growing in Uzbekistan

By Sara Israfilbayova

Presentations of the project “Development of the Fruit and Vegetable Sector. Additional financing” were held in some regions of Uzbekistan.

Within the framework of the project, farmers and agribusiness in all regions of Uzbekistan will receive additional technical and financial assistance that will help create thousands of new and better paid jobs, increase the productivity and profitability of beneficiaries in the fruit and vegetable sector.

The project, worth $500 million, was approved by the World Bank (WB) in January 2018, and began operations in June.

A new phase of the project will help purchase seeds and seedlings, water-saving technologies (such as drip irrigation), construction of storage facilities and greenhouses, purchase of equipment for processing fruits and vegetables. The project will also assist research institutes in developing new methods for growing fruit and vegetable crops, storing and processing them after harvesting.

On August 28-29 the staff of the WB Representative Office in Uzbekistan, the Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Uzbekistan (the project partner) and the Agency for Restructuring of Agricultural Enterprises visited the Fergana and Bukhara regions of Uzbekistan. They took part in the presentation of the project “Development of the Fruit and Vegetable Sector. Additional financing”.

Addressing the event Hideki Mori, the World Bank Country Manager for Uzbekistan, said that agriculture remains an important component of the national economy.

“It generates about 16 percent of GDP and provides jobs for almost 14.5 million people in rural areas. Therefore, this sector and the development of rural areas are at the center of the transformation processes in Uzbekistan, and the transition to fruit and vegetable growing is an important part of the government’s investment strategy,” he stressed.

The World Bank supports the implementation of 18 projects in Uzbekistan, totaling more than $3.3 billion. They promote the implementation of macroeconomic reforms, as well as fundamental changes in the areas of agriculture and water management, energy, transport, health, education, urban development, water supply and sanitation with a view to ensuring economic growth and improving the living standards of citizens.

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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

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