PROSPECTS FOR INCREASING FRUIT PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY

Abstract

Fruit growing is a strategically important sector of Uzbekistan’s agricultural economy, contributing significantly to food security, rural employment and export earnings. Despite favourable agro‑climatic conditions and a long tradition of horticulture, the sector faces acute challenges – water scarcity, outdated orchards, high post‑harvest losses and insufficient processing infrastructure. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of current fruit production trends, quantifies key sources of inefficiency, and evaluates the prospects for raising productivity through the expansion of intensive horticulture, adoption of water‑saving irrigation technologies, and modernisation of storage and processing systems. Uzbekistan’s total fruit and berry harvest reached 3.48 million tonnes in 2025 (6.4% year‑on‑year growth), while the area of intensive orchards expanded to 150,000 ha. Drip irrigation and other water‑saving techniques now cover 50% of irrigated land, up from 4% in 2020. Food exports surged 37% to about $3.2 billion in 2025, with fruit and vegetable exports alone reaching 2.2 million tonnes worth $2.1 billion. At the same time, 20–25% of the harvest is lost at the storage and transportation stage. A three‑pronged modernisation strategy – combining accelerated transition to intensive orchards, widespread deployment of water‑efficient irrigation, and upgrading the cold‑chain and processing infrastructure – can reduce losses by more than half, raise yields to levels comparable to global benchmarks, and position Uzbekistan as a leading agro‑logistics hub in Central Asia.