From Root to Fruit

Of the 37 million inhabitants of Uzbekistan, 49 percent lived in rural areas in 2024 - and the rural population is growing faster than the urban population. Agriculture is a key economic sector, accounting for 27 percent of total employment in 2019. This is partly due to Uzbekistan's prime location for agricultural production, particularly for horticulture. The climate allows for double harvesting of vegetables in most areas across the country - triple harvesting in some regions - and supports a wide variety of crops while limiting pests and diseases. However, more rapid growth in the horticulture sector is constrained by farmers' limited knowledge of modern farming practices, a lack of mechanisms to effectively link farmers to markets, bottlenecks in the value chain, and a significant investment gap, estimated at over 1 billion dollars. Boosting productivity and increasing lending can help Uzbekistan's agribusinesses accelerate growth, leverage the country's strong comparative advantage, and provide the growing rural population with the jobs and skills they need for improved wellbeing