Potatoes are not a traditional crop for Uzbekistan, although they occupy a significant place in the diet of its residents. The country's population is growing, and the demand for this product is increasing. And the task of increasing potato production is becoming increasingly urgent.
Work for promotion
The gross potato harvest in Uzbekistan in 1990 was 300 thousand tons. In 2022, the crop harvest already exceeded 3,4 million tons, but this volume did not meet the needs of the republic. Today, at least 3,9 million tons of tubers are required to meet its needs.
More than 80% of the products consumed by the population can be grown independently. Thus, last year, 1 million tons of potatoes were received from agricultural enterprises, and another 2,4 million tons from dekhkan (peasant) farms and private plots. The missing 532 thousand tons were imported from Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and other countries.
The authorities of the republic at this stage concentrated on solving the problems of the sub-industry. In the first place is the need to increase crop productivity. Potatoes in the country are planted on an area of 253 thousand hectares, but on average only 16,3 tons of products are harvested from each hectare.
The cultivation of potatoes is associated with serious difficulties that local farmers are forced to overcome. Objective factors include a dry and hot climate and a shortage of water resources.
“Under such conditions, potatoes are affected by numerous diseases and pests, which reduce the crop yield and even lead to its death,” notes Dr. Agricultural Sciences. Sciences, Professor of the Department of Plant Growing and Forage Production, Samarkand State University of Veterinary Medicine, Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry Ibrahim Ergashev. – Viral diseases are especially widespread in the republic.
At the same time, the climate has given Uzbek farmers a unique opportunity to grow crops in their fields almost all year round.
“In the south, planting of crops begins in January,” explains the executive director of the Agrover company. Farhod Takhirov, – and continues in other regions until August. We start harvesting super early potatoes in May, and digging late potatoes in December. Thanks to the long season, we have serious competitive advantages and great export opportunities.
Ours are a priority
The issue of increasing crop yields is being resolved at the state level, at the sites of scientific institutions and experimental fields.
“Work on potato selection and seed production has been established in different regions of the republic, for example, in the Jizzakh and Tashkent regions,” says the scientific secretary of the Research Institute (Research Institute) of Vegetables, Melons and Potatoes Fakhriddin Rasulov. – In our biotechnology laboratory, domestic potato varieties are propagated, including Pskom, Serkhosil, Sarnav, Umid-2, Akrob and others.
Mini-tubers are formed in a modern high-tech greenhouse and then supplied to elite seed farms. In total, by the end of 2023, the institute plans to grow 2,5 million mini-tubers.
Experts are confident that seeds grown in the republic using new technology are better suited to local soil and climatic conditions. In addition, they cost three times less, produce yields of up to 35-40 tons per hectare for 3-4 years, and are also free from harmful viruses.
“This requires a special approach to the seed production system, developed taking into account environmental and agrobiological factors,” says Ibrahim Ergashev. – The task of breeders is not limited to the development of competitive, highly productive varieties. Scientists must offer farmers potatoes that are resistant to existing pathogens.
At the beginning of the year, the register of breeding achievements of the republic was once again replenished. The new ultra-early potato variety was named “Tashkent ertagisi” (Tashkent fairy tale).
“It ripens 10-12 days earlier than its analogues,” says one of the authors of the variety, director of the Research Institute of Vegetables, Melons and Potatoes Rustam Nizamov, – demanding of highly fertile soil, resistant to viral diseases. The growing season is 65-70 days. The expected yield is from 26,8-27,5 tons per hectare, or 5-6 tons more than local early varieties.
The Bogizogon variety, which was obtained last year by scientists from the scientific experimental station in Samarkand, has similar characteristics. Now it is being tested in farm fields.
From Feruza to Adretta
Due to the climate, farmers in Uzbekistan are focused on varieties that tolerate heat well and are not susceptible to frost. The State Register of Agricultural Crops includes 150 potato varieties, 20 of which were created by local scientists.
Domestic varieties such as Akrab, Bakhro-30, Tuyimli, Feruza are popular. And among the foreign ones, the most popular are Arizona, Adretta, Red Oak, Kenibek.
“Our farm relies on Dutch and German selection,” says Farhod Takhirov, – and we grow over 10 varieties of potatoes. Every year we conduct production and variety tests, registering about 3-4 new varieties.
The republic requires about 650 thousand tons of potato seed material per year. In 2022, only 22 thousand tons were imported into the country, the rest was grown in seed farms and on household plots.
“We strive to develop primary seed production,” explains Farhod Takhirov, - we built a laboratory and have already begun to engage in microclonal propagation of tubers. But potato growers are not able to solve the issue with seeds throughout the republic on their own. In Uzbekistan, due to the heat, there are few places suitable for growing them, and in the highlands there is a lack of infrastructure. It is low-quality seed material that causes poor yields and low marketability of products from small producers.
Dear progress
Modern agricultural machinery allows you to optimize costs, increase the yield and quality of potatoes. But its high cost puts the path to progress out of reach for hundreds of farmers.
“The Agrover company strives to introduce machines and units from the world’s leading manufacturers into the production process,” states Farhod Takhirov. “But many farms in the republic still use old-style equipment. And the share of manual labor is still high. If some mechanisms are still used to cultivate row spacing, then planting and harvesting of crops is usually carried out manually.
Irrigation is a mandatory condition for growing potatoes in Uzbekistan. And the most common method of irrigation remains the traditional one - irrigation ditch. With its help, it is difficult to provide the crop with the optimal amount of moisture, and the yield of tubers does not rise above 20-25 tons per hectare.
“That’s why we are switching to more modern and efficient irrigation methods,” says Farhod Takhirov. – Thanks to sprinkling, our farm is able to receive an average of 30-40 tons of produce per hectare. And at the maximum – up to 50-60 tons. 2,5 thousand hectares have already been converted to rain irrigation.
Within the limits of possibilities
Difficulties with selling products have not spared Uzbek potato growers. They have to sell the summer crop very quickly so that in hot conditions the tubers, which have not properly formed their skins, do not lose their marketable appearance. Not everyone can store their crops, and at the height of the harvest, prices on the market fall.
“We took the issue of ensuring the safety of agricultural products very seriously,” explains Farhod Takhirov. – The company’s warehouse capacity allows for the simultaneous storage of over 48 thousand tons of potatoes. Its implementation across the territory of the republic and beyond its borders practically does not stop throughout the year.
Small producers solve problems with sales with the help of intermediaries. Larger farms that are able to meet the requirements for quality, sorting and packaging of potatoes work directly with retail chains. And only the leaders of the sub-industry have the opportunity to engage in tuber processing.
“When the area under the crop reached 200 hectares,” says Farhod Takhirov, – we came to the conclusion that the company needs to develop the processing area. Our plant, capable of processing up to 50 thousand tons of raw materials annually, is equipped with the best equipment. Today it produces potato flakes and frozen French fries.
The desire of farmers to grow potatoes for processing is limited by another fact. Domestic tubers do not meet the requirements of large transnational catering chains. For this reason, large volumes of semi-finished potatoes, chips, starch, mashed potatoes and cereals are imported into the republic from abroad.
Pooling resources
The peculiarity of the Central Asian region is that a significant part of potato producers are represented by small, poor farms. Uzbek farmers also lack working capital, special knowledge and experience, machinery and equipment, water for irrigation, and plant protection products.
Cooperation with strong market players could help farmers organize stable production and earn decent profits.
“We have experience working with small farmers, whom we provide with seed material,” says Farhod Takhirov. “They are of interest to the Agrover company as suppliers of commercial potatoes and raw materials for the processing plant. Especially if they represent regions with high cultural profitability. We are ready to offer farmers the use of developed infrastructure and professional consulting.
Help from the state, for example, preferential lending, can solve the problems of agricultural business. But to take advantage of this support measure, you need to provide collateral to the bank, which an ordinary farmer often cannot do.
Large subsidies are provided for farmers introducing modern irrigation methods (for example, drip irrigation). But the state takes on only part of the very significant costs.
As part of the implementation of the Agricultural Development Strategy of Uzbekistan for 2020-2030, unprecedented measures are being implemented in the country. They are also aimed at stimulating potato growers to produce quality products. In the period from 2024 to 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic plans to distribute 500 tons of seeds free of charge among advanced dehkan farms and owners of household plots. The total number of recipients of seed material will reach 1,7 thousand.
As a result of such an action, the crop yield should increase in both qualitative and quantitative terms. Uzbekistan will be one step closer to its goal: to make potato growing a thriving, successful sub-sector of agriculture.
Irina Berg