News on The Potato Supply Chain from Uzbekistan

The export of early potatoes is not such a significant position in Uzbekistan’s fresh fruits and vegetables segment. However, the volume of deliveries of Uzbek potatoes to Kazakhstan in May-July this year reached a record high for at least the last two decades.

EastFruit analysts have repeatedly paid attention to the grave consequences of abnormally cold weather in Uzbekistan in January.

In 2022, the volume of imports of marketable potatoes to Uzbekistan decreased for the first time in the past few years.

According to the State Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan imported 404100 tonnes of potatoes worth USD 65.9 million from 16 countries in January-October 2022.

According to EastFruit analysts, Uzbekistan may become one of the five largest potato importers in the world by the end of 2021. Following the results of 11 months, Uzbekistan has already set a new record of potato imports.

In February EastFruit experts identified the main reasons for the sharp rise in potatos prices in Uzbekistan over the past few years, having analyzed trends in the production, import and consumption of potatoes for the period from 2000 to 2020.

Uzbekistan will allow tax-free import of potatoes until January 1, 2019. The measure is intended to eliminate the shortage of potatoes in the domestic market and to curb rising prices

Potato is not only a staple, it is also an important cash crop which is expanding year after year in Uzbekistan, and there is an obvious need for quality seeds necessary for local farmers to cultivate this crop.

The International Potato Center's main partner in Uzbekistan, the National University of Uzbekistan in Tashkent received a US$2.8 million grant from the Government to implement a seed potato multiplication project using the three CIP clones released in the past two years.