A family shows their best grape harvest in Namangan Province. USAID provides technical support to small farmers to increase crop yields.

USAID

Agriculture plays a crucial role in the Uzbek economy, employing approximately half the workforce. More than two-thirds of the population reside in rural areas, over one-quarter live in poverty, and remittances from Uzbeks working abroad play a major role in the domestic economy. For these reasons, agricultural development and diversification are key USAID priorities in Uzbekistan.

USAID’s activities help farmers achieve immediate results by applying improved techniques and better technology to disease-resistant plants. USAID trains households to dry fruits and is introducing affordable methods for creating on-farm cold storage facilities, all of which help improve incomes.

Results:

• In 2011 alone, USAID introduced 3,000 farmers to new production techniques that, at a minimum, doubled crop yields and resulted in up to six-fold increases in sales. Our agricultural assistance will increase farm incomes by 80 percent through improved agricultural techniques in 16,000 rural households.
• USAID trained over 1,000 farmers, farm workers and agribusiness staff on plant pest identification, agronomic best practices, orchard pruning, cold storage management, fruit and vegetable drying, and post-harvest techniques.
• USAID offered cold chain workshops to over 200 farmers, allowing them to adapt this powerful income-generating technology for local use.