13.08.2014:  

The FAO Food Price Index decreased for a fourth consecutive month in July mainly due to a sharp decline in international prices for maize, wheat and certain oilseeds,  reflecting ample supplies for these commodities.

Based on the prices of a basket of internationally-traded food commodities, the FAO Food Price Index averaged 203.9 points in July 2014, down 4.4 points (or 2.1 percent) from a revised value in June and 3.5 points (or 1.7 percent) below the July 2013 level.

"The lingering decline of food prices since March reflects much better expectations over supplies in the current and forthcoming seasons, especially for cereals and oils, a situation that is expected to facilitate  rebuilding of world stocks," said FAO senior economist  Concepción Calpe.

In contrast, meat prices rose for the fifth consecutive month in July, and those for sugar remained firm.  The fall in quotations for grains, oilseeds, as well as dairy products pushed down the FAO Food Price Index to its lowest level since January 2014.

"Livestock product markets have their own dynamics: in the case of meat, beef in particular, many exporting countries are in a herd rebuilding phase, which is limiting availability for exports and sustaining prices,"  Calpe said. "As for dairy products, supplies available for trade appear to be abundant, which, along with a faltering import demand, has weighted on July's quotations," she added.

Sharp slide in cereal and oilseed prices

The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 185.4 points in July, down 10.7 points or5.5 percent from June and as much as 36.9 points or 16.6 percent below the level one year ago.

In particular the fall in international prices for maize (down 9.2 percent from June) and wheat (down 5.8 percent) reflected excellent production prospects as well as expected abundant exportable supplies in the 2014/15 marketing season.

In contrast, rice prices edged marginally higher, on renewed import demand, especially as Thailand's sales from public reserves remained suspended.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index averaged 181.1 points in July, down 7.7 points or 4.1 percent from June. The decline continued to be primarily driven by falling soy and palm oil prices.

Soy oil values fell mainly in response to record crop prospects for the United States as well as abundant supply in South America while palm oil quotations eased on persisting strength in Malaysia's currency and slow global import demand. Prices for rape and sunflowerseed oil also weakened, reflecting ample crop prospects for 2014/15.

The FAO Dairy Price Index averaged 226.1 points in July, down 10.3 points (4.4 percent) over June and 17.5 points (7.2 percent) less than the same period last year. Reduced import demand - including a decline in purchases of butter by Islamic countries during Ramadan -  contributed to the downward trend in dairy prices.

Meat prices rise while sugar remains volatile

A continued strong demand for meat in Asia and particularly China, helped to edge up the FAO Meat Price Index which averaged 204.8 points in July, 3.7 points (1.8 percent) higher  than its revised value in June and 25.4 points (14.1 percent) above the same period last year. Average prices for poultry and ovine meat also rose, while those for pig meat fell back somewhat from the all-time high registered in June.

The FAO Sugar Price Index averaged 259.1 points in July, marginally up by 1.1 points (0.4 percent) from June, and 20.2 points (8.4 percent) higher than in July 2013. International sugar prices have been relatively volatile over the last three months, amid uncertainty over the impact of a drought on sugarcane in Brazil, the world's largest producer and exporter and indications of below average monsoon rains in India, the second largest world sugar producer.

Source: www.fao.org

13.08.2014:  

4.08.2014:  

Increasing water scarcity and changing weather patterns in Central Asia worry policymakers and scientists alike. So much research in the region is focused on ways to cope with the emerging environmental challenges. Scientists are breeding more resilient crop varieties and offering water-efficient technologies to farmers and other land users.

Two problems, however, call special attention. First, most staple crops cultivated in the region require lots of water. Locally-grown potato varieties, for example, need between 3,500 and 8,000 m³ of water per ha. This can be as much as 8,000-9,000 m³ per ha for winter wheat, although only about 60 per cent of the total water consumption comes from irrigation and the rest from rainfall. Second, irrigation practices are far from best, and indiscriminate use of water causes problems. As Dr Jumanazar Ruzimov, of Urgench State University in Uzbekistan, notes, a surplus of 2,500 m³ of water per ha can bring 1,250 kg of salt to the field and increase the water table by 1 m.

Improving the situation is high on the national and regional research agendas. Together with research partners in Central Asian countries, the CGIAR Regional Program for Central Asia and the Caucasus, a consortium of national and international research institutions, also contributes to resolving water-related problems in the region. And this work was at the center of a recent meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to discuss measures to increase water use efficiency within the framework of the CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems. Some 20 scientists from national and international research institutions met on 10 June 2014 to look at how water-efficient crop varieties and technologies can help. Participants agreed that improved crop varieties boost water productivity. For example, some early-maturing legumes grown in June-September need watering only once or twice. Dr Ravza Mavlyanova, of AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center, singles out mungbean as one of the water-efficient crops, which also improves soil fertility. And it can be used as a catch crop. In Uzbekistan, a number of improved varieties like 'Zilola', 'Marjon', 'Durdona' and 'Turon' have been released to date. Another crop is potato. Mr Kahramon Jumaboev, of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), says that potato yields can go up by as much as 40 per cent if stress-tolerant varieties are cultivated and water-saving technologies used. To that end, IWMI and CIP, an international potato research center, have carried out a series of field trials since 2012 to study the effect of different irrigation practices on yields of the varieties 'Sarnav' and 'Sante' in the Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan. And the results have been submitted in a paper to Irrigation and Drainage, the official journal of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, and published in booklets and brochures for practical use by farmers.

There are various approaches and technologies that can help to save water. Prof Abduhalil Kayimov, of Tashkent State Agrarian University, and Dr Muhabbat Turdieva, Regional Project Coordinator at Bioversity International, point out that agroforestry practices also have potential for increasing water productivity. It is well established that trees and shrubs enhance ecosystems. By growing trees with crops, it is possible to improve yields, reduce soil loss, conserve soil moisture and reduce the effects of agriculture on the environment. For example, cotton fields protected by tree stands require less water due to soil moisture and water conservation. Trees and shrubs can also serve as windbreaks. In some cases they reduce wind speed by as much as 60-80 per cent compared with open areas, which saves soil moisture and crops from lodging. Furthermore, relative humidity in such areas is higher by 10-20 per cent and air temperature is lower by 10-25 per cent. In agriculture, the amount of water, fertilizers and other resources used also depends on field levelling. So the advent of laser-controlled land levelling equipment was a significant advance in surface irrigation. Laser-levelled fields help to achieve substantial water savings and an increase in crop yield and quality. By contrast, traditional land levelling results in increased irrigation, leading to higher salinity levels. Dr Oybek Egamberdiev, of the Khorezm Rural Advisory Support Service, a not-for-profit organization at Urgench State University, says that if the slope of a field, that is the ratio of the difference in height between two points in a field to the horizontal distance between these two points, is 5 cm, then some 500 m³ of additional water is used per ha, bringing 250 kg per ha of additional salt into the field and increasing the groundwater level by 0.2 m. The slope is, however, 1-3 cm if a field is levelled with laser-controlled equipment. According to Dr Egamberdiev, the results of laser land levelling experiments in several districts in Khorezm Region of Uzbekistan proved encouraging. A comparison of traditional land levelling and laser land levelling effects on winter wheat and cotton in 2010 showed that a water saving of 1,500 m³ per ha can be achieved for winter wheat and 2,000 m³ for cotton. More importantly, yields were higher: 4 tons per ha with traditional land levelling and 4.4 tons per ha with laser land levelling for winter wheat, and 2.5 tons per ha and 2.75 tons per ha respectively for cotton. Dr Egamberdiev adds that because irrigated agriculture accounts for about 90 per cent of the total crop production in Uzbekistan, benefits of this technology could be enormous. Scientists also propose conservation agriculture as another way to cut down on irrigation. Conservation agriculture is a set of soil management practices that minimize the disruption of soil structure, composition and natural biodiversity. One of its main benefits is water conservation as this approach requires much less water due to increased infiltration and enhanced water-holding capacity from crop residues left on the soil surface. Mulches also protect the soil surface from extreme temperatures and greatly reduce surface evaporation. By some estimates, water savings can be as much as 20-25 per cent.

Researchers agree that there is enough to offer to farmers and other land users in the region. But uptake is lagging for various reasons, including lack of knowledge and skills. So there is continued effort on training and development, and knowledge is shared through various events involving specialists and farmers. Much is also being done by the CGIAR Regional Program. For example, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas and national partners organized a series of training courses in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in the past few years under an FAO-funded project to promote conservation agriculture practices in irrigated areas. Some 150 people have been trained since 2013. CIP and IWMI have been helping farmers and agronomists to learn best practices in potato cultivation and irrigation under a three-year BMZ/GIZ-funded project. As part of this initiative, 35 people from Fergana and Andijan regions took part in a training course on 14 June 2014 in Markhamat District of Andijan Region, Uzbekistan.

National governments are committed to boosting the adoption rates of water-saving technologies. In Uzbekistan changes were made in 2013 to the Tax Code, exempting farms using drip irrigation from the single land tax for five years. And Kazakhstan has been implementing policies, including an equipment subsidy program, to promote conservation agriculture. But many technologies are still thin on the ground in the region. Conservation agriculture is slowly taking off in some countries, while other approaches and technologies are finding their way into agricultural production. Scientists fret that there is still a way to go to achieve large-scale adoption of water-saving technologies. As Dr Shukhrat Mukhamedjanov, senior researcher at the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Coordination Water Commission of Central Asia, notes, it is necessary to develop a system for transfer of innovative technologies to Water User Associations (WUAs) and farms. He points out that efficient water use is hindered by such issues as weak water management mechanisms at WUAs, low qualifications of WUA specialists and lack of appropriate water accounting procedures. Breeding new varieties and developing water-efficient technologies is a lengthy process, but making farmers and other land users in the region adopt them often takes even more time. It is hoped that farmers will soon learn the knowledge developed by science, and policymakers will do more to make this happen sooner rather than later. Water is a finite resource, after all.

Source: www.cac-program.org

23.06.2014:  

According to the press service of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, the delegation of Israel will visit Uzbekistan on 26-30 June 2014.

The delegation will include a group of businesspersons, specializing in agriculture, modern technologies for irrigation and water use.

Israeli delegation will organize a seminar and a presentation dedicated to modern agriculture technologies for small and private businesses, as well as farms of Uzbekistan.

Source: www.uzdaily.com

23.06.2014:  

The fair is aimed at further expanding long-term cooperation with international organizations and foreign companies, leading processors and consumers of cotton, analyze trends in cotton markets, etc.

The event is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investment and Trade of Uzbekistan at the assistance of Uzbekistan Commodity Exchange, Uzpakhtasanoat Association, Uzbek Center for Certificaton of Cotton Fibre “Sifat”, Uzbekyengilsanoat and others.

During the Cotton and Textile Fair participants will have an opportunity to sign contracts for Uzbek cotton, set up long-term cooperation in cotton trading, as well as to be familiar with the quality of Uzbek cotton and latest innovations in trade and logistics.

Moreover, during the Cotton Fair “round tables” and bilateral negotiations between Uzbek cotton exporters and consumers will be organized. The guests of the Cotton Fair will have an opportunity to participate in the cotton trading session on Uzbek commodity exchange.

Within the framework of the Fair, it is planned to discuss current problems and prospects for the world cotton market development as well as to learn competent views of leading international experts.

In particular, the participants will consider such issues as world cotton and textile market: demand and supply, prices and factors, current state and prospects of production and marketing of cotton in Uzbekistan, new technologies to increase cotton competitiveness, world market of cotton textile: present and future, investment climate and foreign investors in cotton and textile industry of Uzbekistan, etc.

Source: www.uzdaily.com

23.06.2014:  

As reported earlier, Uzbekistan produced over 25,000 tonnes of cocoons in 2013.

Silkworm breeders from Surkhandarya, Ferghana, Bukhara, Namangan, Kashkadarya, Navoi and Andijan regions were among the regions, which first executed contractual obligations.

Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management of Uzbekistan said that farmers bred 445,000 boxes of silkworm eggs and 90% of yield was sold as high quality.

Source: http://www.uzdaily.com

7.06.2014:  

At the start of the meeting, the head of our state expressed gratitude to the guest for the enthusiastic participation in the international conference “On Vital Reserves in the Realization of the Food Program in Uzbekistan”. The President noted that FAO is regarded in our nation as the world community’s key institution that deals with international policies and actions in the field of food security and agricultural development.

Since 2001, when Uzbekistan joined FAO, eight national and regional projects have been implemented in our country. Another five schemes of nationwide and regional significance are currently in the phase of realization.

As it has been stressed at the talks, FAO is instrumental in shaping global and regional balances in major types of foods and agricultural resources, in drawing the most advanced methods of selection and tillage, technologies of production of modern agricultural machinery and equipment to the developing countries, in introducing the international community with issues related to ensuring healthy and adequate nutrition.

Jointly with FAO, Uzbekistan has been training specialists and introducing cutting-edge technologies to save water and improve water resources management. Advanced methods are spearheaded in tillage, breeding and seed growing as well as combating desertification and soil degradation.

It has also been underscored during the meeting that the establishment of an FAO office in Tashkent during the first visit by the organization’s head to Uzbekistan will facilitate further development of cooperation dedicated to bolstering the agricultural potential of our nation.

During the conversation, Uzbekistan’s leader and the chief of the international organization exchanged views across a diversity of issues in food supplies, agricultural development, introduction of new drought-resistant varieties of food crops and new methodologies in farming.

Jose Graziano da Silva expressed sincere gratefulness to the President of our country for a warm welcome and the high level of organization of the conference. FAO Director General conveyed his conviction that the forum has become an important platform to address urgent problems faced by the humanity, such as providing for food security and agricultural development. The guest reiterated the willingness of FAO to further and enhance relations with Uzbekistan.

Source: http://uza.uz

5.06.2014:  

The expositions are organized by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management, the Trade and Industry Chamber and the Council of Farmers.

Chairman of the Council of Farmers of Uzbekistan S.Turdiev, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade A.Kamalov and other speakers noted that the wide-ranging transformation and quality changes in the agricultural sector of our country’s economy, spearheaded under the leadership of President Islam Karimov, have been yielding due outcomes. Instrumental in furthering these goals has been the introduction of cutting-edge technologies. The 15 may 2014 presidential resolution “On Measures to Further Refine the Management and Financial Recovery of Enterprises in Agricultural Machine Building” has come to be an important normative foundation for further development in manufacturing state-of-the-art, highly productive agricultural machinery and equipment competitive both in the domestic and external markets.

The significance of technical and technological re-equipment of agriculture and further development of Uzbekistan’s agricultural industry sector explains the extensive scale and high level of the organization of international exhibitions Uzbekistan Agrominitech Expo-2014 and Uzbekistan Agrotechmash Expo-2014.

In the current market exhibition Uzbekistan Agrominitech Expo-2014, in excess of 150 companies are taking part from 26 countries around the world, including China, South Korea, United States, France, Germany, Spain, Iran, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Turkey and others.

An extensive range of goods and services is presented at the exposition in a number of areas, including compact lines for reprocessing agricultural products, packing mini technologies, equipment for livestock husbandry, poultry, beekeeping and gardening, mini machinery and hardware for stocking fodders, gardening and viticulture, the organization of greenhouse enterprises, chemical substances for plant protection.

It is noteworthy that at this exhibition-sale, as the tradition of the last years has gone, a special significance is attached to the demonstration of cutting-edge and economical technologies to reprocess fruits and vegetables as well as meat and dairy products, of mini machinery and hardware for gardening and viticulture, astrakhan sheep breeding and leather reprocessing.

Uzbekistan’s potential in the production of mini technologies and equipment for agriculture is brightly displayed by the stands of Uzbek companies. Presented here are the chambers for drying fruits, vegetables and greens, incubators and coops for poultry farming, packing and packaging equipment, stubble breakers and plows. Foreign guests say they are attracted to the achievements in the sphere of alternative energy, namely, solar photoelectric and wind-electric stations capable of uninterruptedly supplying with power those facilities that are located even in the remotest rural areas. Visitors and participants are keen to enquire into vehicles presented here – the freight motor tricycle of domestic production “ELDOSH EL 150-1” and trailers so in demand in faming enterprises.

Enterprises of the Uzprommashimpeks state stock company are taking part in an extended format. The company specializes in the export of industrial and agricultural goods produced in our country. Its annual trade turnover amounts to nearly 900 million US dollars, while the geography of operations covers more than 40 countries.

The stand of the private enterprise Livadia-Bukhara is appealing to visitors with its extensive range of dried fruits, equipment for their production. Staff of the enterprise have elaborated and patented a variety of drying chambers designed for reprocessing vegetables, fruits, medicinal herbs, as well as meat, fish, poultry and pasta. The goods of the enterprise have been appealing to customers in CIS nations, Europe, Asia and America.

“We have started to sell our equipment for payment by installments,” J.Ergasheva, commercial director of the private enterprise Livadia-Bukhara, says. “This opportunity has been useful not only for farming enterprises and agricultural firms, but also rural residents purchasing it for household needs. Also we purchase the goods produced by them.”

Among the Uzbek exponents are the AVS Agro Vatanparvar that has unveiled a wide range of items from stainless steel for catering business, the company Mirta-Polymet that demonstrates kitchen, trade and cooling equipment, and the company Upakmash that offers machinery for packing and packaging food products.

Also appealing are the stands of participants from South Korea. They display samples of equipment and hardware for the food industry, chilling installments, ice-cream stuffers and many other items.

Manufactures from Germany, France and China expose machinery for peeling and cutting vegetables and fruits, measuring devices for defining the quality of melon products, cooling equipment of various types, vacuum stuffers.

“We present our innovations in peeling and sorting out grain crops and legumes,” says Nicole He, overseas sales manager of the Chinese company Hefei Taihe Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd. “Taking into account that the agricultural production has been dynamically developing in Uzbekistan, we intend to expand our business contacts with Uzbek agricultural firms and farming enterprises.”

In the international exhibition Uzbekistan Agrotechmash Expo-2014, more than 20 leading world manufacturers of agricultural machinery and equipment from 10 countries are taking part along with our local enterprises like the Tashkent Tractor Plant open stock company, the Modular Plant open stock company, the Chirchikselmash open stock company, commercial banks and leasing companies. An extensive range of agricultural machinery is unveiled here.

The Tashkent Tractor Plant displays universal and cotton growing tractors of brands like “TTZ 80.10” and “TTZ 80.11”, cotton harvesting machines “MX-1,8”, tractor and dump body trailers. The Modular Plant open stock company exhibits a wide range of seeding machines, mowing machines, spreader devices of mineral fertilizers, cultivators, components and spare parts for agricultural machinery.

The range of domestically produced goods of the agricultural machine building has considerable been enriched thanks to the realization of the resolution of the head of our state “On the Program of Further Modernization, Technical and Technological Re-equipment of the Agricultural Production for 2012-2016” signed 21 May 2012. Within efforts to implement this resolution, the Chirchiq Mash Agro limited liability company was established. It currently producers a wide range of devices and equipment, including cultivators, plows, rollers and others.

The exhibition displays more than 50 units of machinery from world-renowned brands like Doosan, Daichi, Deadong (all from South Korea), Case, New Holland (both from the United States), CLAAS, Lemken, MAN (all from Germany) and others.

The traditional exhibitions Uzbekistan Agrominitech Expo and Uzbekistan Agrotechmash Expo are distinct with the enthusiastic participation of farmers and entrepreneurs of our country. The enormous range of presented products facilitates the equipment of domestic farming enterprises and production enterprises with the latest novelties of agricultural machines and technologies, while the consistently expanding geography of participants serves for the establishment of long-term cooperation with foreign firms and companies.

The international exhibitions will also include presentations of modern foreign-origin technologies, as well as seminars and meetings for farmers.

The sale exhibition Uzbekistan Agrominitech Expo-2014 and the exhibition Uzbekistan Agrotechmash Expo-2014 will facilitate the further development of production and the processing industry as well as the enhancement of export volumes.

The Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan U.Rozukulov delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the expositions.

Source: http://uza.uz

27.05.2014:  

Singapore’s Welton International, Kito Investment and Austria’s SЕID Handelsgesellschaft m.b.H founded joint venture Angren Shakar to construct the second sugar plant in Uzbekistan. The plant is located in special industrial zone Angren. The project cost is US$108.5 million and financed due to direct investments of the founders. The plant will produce 1,000 tonnes of sugar a day from sugar cane. BMA AG is a general constructor of the plant.

Khorezm Shakar JV OJSC is an only sugar producer in Uzbekistan. Khorezm Sugar Plant was commissioned in 1998. The cost of the plant is US$83.25 million. Preliminary plant was designed for processing sugar-beet, which was planned to plant in Uzbekistan. The capacity of the plant was 3,000 tonnes of sugar-beet a day. But low crop pushed to conserve the plant.

Shakar Investment, an Uzbek-Austrian-US joint venture, carried out project on transfer of the capacity to processing of cane sugar with the cost of US$2 million in 2002. Currently, the plant can process 1,000 tonnes of cane sugar a day.

Shareholders of the company are Motril Investments (Panama, 69.43%), KITO Investments (Singapore, 20%), SEID Handels GmbH (Austria, 10%) and employees (0.57%).

According to statistics, annual demand of Uzbekistan in sugar makes up about 750,000 tonnes, of which 350,000 tonnes are currently imported. Khorezm Shakar JV OJSC increased sugar production by 10.3% to 356,500 tonnes in 2013.

Source: http://www.uzdaily.com

27.05.2014:  

Farmers, representatives of interested ministries and departmens, administration, diplomatic corps, international financial institutions and organizations such as GIZ, JICA, KOICA, ADB, World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and others will participate in the event.

The participants will familiarize with modern technologies and equipment for production and processing of agriculture products, opportunities and ways of their exports. The participants will also hold negotiations on exports of agriculture products and purchase of necessary equipment, and consider various transport and logistics services.

The participants will discuss opportunities for the Uzbek farmers and businesses to participate in agriculture exhibitions in Germany, France, the Netherlands, the United States and other countries.

Source: www.uzdaily.com