Ministry of Agriculture and Water
Resources to raise $990 million for 27 investment projects.
Over the past 20 years, Uzbekistan
attracted about $700 million of loans and grants from international financial
institutions to the agricultural sector for the implementation of
infrastructure and institutional projects.
The works worth $255 million under 21
projects were carried out in the water resources sector at the expense of
foreign governments and international financial institutions. Thus, the
country has built irrigation networks and inter-farm collectors of more than
500 km length, carried out the laser-leveling of 1,174 hectares of land,
purchased about 300 items of agricultural equipment, 14 large pumps, 8 dredge
ships and 4 hydroturbines that meet all international standards.
As a part of the Uzbek drainage project,
the country reconstructed the main 300-km collector in in southern
Karakalpakstan, improved the reclamation of 100 hectares of irrigated land,
which allows the republic to save 1.5 billion soums of budget funds annually.
The launch of hydraulic turbines at Andijon and Ohangaron water power plants
made it possible to produce 237 million kWh of electricity per year, and the
launch of Tupalang plant – to produce 63 million kWh per year.
The specialists of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Water Resources determined the sources of funding of 27
promising projects worth $990 million in 2011-2015. Potential foreign investors
are the governments of China and France, World, Asian and Islamic Development
Banks. These activities will ensure the water supply to more than 500,000
hectares of irrigated area and improve the reclamation of over 100,000 hectares
of land in the country.
Currently the Ministry continues to
implement the projects worth $15 million at the expense of grant funds of the
international financial institutions and foreign governments. The funds are
used for projects aimed at land improvement, strengthening the national system
of protected areas, the development of sericulture in Karakalpakstan, research,
education and training of employees in agricultural and water resources sector.
To enhance the attraction of foreign
investments in the agricultural sector, last year Uzbekistan joined the
agreement establishing the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The
fund specializes in providing of financial resources to developing countries on
concessional terms for agricultural development. Thus, the Fund provides
interest-free soft loans of up to 50 years, including a 10-year grace period.
Context: agricultural production
In the first quarter of 2011
the total volume of agricultural production in Uzbekistan exceeded 1.4 trillion
soums, which is 5.8% more compared to 2010. Crop production made up 205.2
billion soums (4.2% more in comparison to 2010), livestock – more than 1.2
trillion soums (6.2%).