Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 30 January, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting to discuss the introduction of a new system for cultivating profitable crops on household plots and leased lands.

Thanks to a thoughtful approach and structural reforms, agricultural lands are yielding high harvests. The authorities are taking steps to turn unused lands into sources of economic activity, contributing to job creation and increasing the income of the population.

Currently, there are 508,000 hectares of household plots owned by more than 5 million households, along with 17,000 hectares of lands where dehkan farms were previously established, and 260,000 hectares of land provided to the population in recent years. These land resources play an important role in ensuring food security.

Over the past seven years, household plot owners and dehkan farms have been granted 2.3 trillion soums in preferential loans and 265 billion soums in subsidies. Taking into account the climatic and soil characteristics of the regions, a specialized system for growing various crops, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, and lemons, has been established in 5,145 mahallas.

The application of modern agricultural technologies has significantly increased the yield of household plots. Previously, an average of 18 tons of produce was harvested from one hectare, but now this figure has reached 38 tons. In the mahallas, storage, sorting, and processing facilities have been created for 470,000 tons of fruits and vegetables. In several districts, such as Asaka, Jandar, Shahrisabz, Uychin, Kyzyltepa, Yangiyul, Taylak, Angor, Kuva, and Altyaryk, crops are harvested two to three times a year, allowing residents to earn 15–20 million soums per hundred square meters.

In preparing proposals for the further development of this direction, the authorities took into account the opinions of farmers, processors, and exporters.

For example, fruit growers in Samarkand region proposed providing subsidies for trellis cultivation of grapes, which allows doubling the yield. This proposal was supported, and now a subsidy of up to 15,000 soums will be allocated for each trellis. Also planned are preferential loans for purchasing equipment for raisin drying within the framework of the family entrepreneurship program.

In the Tasmasoy mahalla of the Denau district, 875 households are engaged in growing citrus fruits and lemons, enabling them to earn up to 200 million soums in annual income. In the Saryasiya and Altynsai districts, more than a thousand families have expressed a desire to grow lemons using the "trench" and "thermo" methods.

Farmers in Yangiyul pointed out the lack of quality local herb seeds. As a result, relevant instructions have been issued to address this problem and provide the necessary support.

The president also proposed a number of new initiatives aimed at developing the cultivation of high-yield and export-oriented crops, as well as their accounting and financing.

To further develop dehkan farms and household farming, it is planned to create a separate council that will focus on training farmers, providing them with seeds and seedlings, as well as issues related to processing and exporting products.

Under this council, the "UzAgroStar" holding will be established, consisting of 15 specialized fruit and vegetable production companies. These companies will elevate 15 pilot districts to a new level, and their successful experience will later be spread to 72 other districts.

Each of these companies will receive funding of 20 billion soums from the state budget. A special fund will also be created with an initial capital of 260 billion soums and a loan portfolio of 1.2 trillion soums.

This funding will allow the mentioned companies to attract residents of specialized mahallas as clients and provide them with financing.

A new support system for household farming will be introduced, including the import of modern technologies, the involvement of foreign experts, the provision of farmers with quality seeds, fertilizers, and agro-technical services, as well as assistance in product processing, storage, and export. In the pilot areas, "greenhouses" will be organized in cooperation with seed institutes.

In total, about 5 trillion soums will be allocated for the development of household farming and the cultivation of food crops.

Freezing chambers, packaging, drying, and processing warehouses, as well as greenhouses, will appear in the mahallas and households, which will be handed over to the population with the possibility of installment payments over five years.

Entrepreneurs providing service in the field of household farming will be able to receive preferential loans for seven years at 17.5%. In addition, 20 billion soums will be allocated annually for the best farmer and household projects in the form of grants, and 500 mahallas will receive 40 million soums each.

Farmers who have established export production will be able to apply for subsidies of up to 100 million soums, while organizers of short-term training courses will be eligible for 5.5 million soums. In arid regions, the government will cover 50% of the costs for building rainwater harvesting tanks.

One of the key innovations will be a change in the credit system. Now, loans from the Agricultural Fund for the cultivation and processing of fruits and vegetables will be provided without collateral, only under an insurance policy, which will allow dehkan farmers to obtain preferential loans without excessive bureaucracy.

A unified system for accounting household and dehkan lands, as well as the products grown on them, will be created. By the end of the year, all plots will be classified, and information on sowing will be entered into the "Online Mahalla" platform.

Farmers who use land efficiently and earn an official income of more than 5 million soums per hundred square meters will be able to receive 90% of the land tax paid as a "cashback." Meanwhile, owners of plots on which nothing is grown will pay an increased land tax.

To optimize the sale of agricultural products, an online marketplace will be launched, which will help dehkan farmers find buyers and allow processors and exporters to purchase the necessary products in a timely manner.

In Karakalpakstan, Andijan, Jizzakh, and Tashkent regions, 3,300 hectares of vacant land will be leased for 49 years under a new system.

The taxation system for agricultural lands will also change: if the score of rented land increases, the tax will remain unchanged; if it decreases, it will triple.

Additionally, the authorities have tasked themselves with developing new high-yield potato varieties adapted to the local climate. This year, 400 billion soums will be allocated to the development of potato farming. Starting from 2027, the demand for potatoes will be met through domestic resources.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the president spoke with leading farmers and household plot owners. Genjimurat Turdimuratov from Karakalpakstan, who harvests four crops annually in his greenhouse, will be awarded the "Dostlik" (Friendship) Order.

Responsible agencies and banks presented their plans for implementing initiatives aimed at creating 1.5 million new jobs.