Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 18 July, during an open dialogue with fruit and vegetable exporters organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, a proposal was made to introduce preferential financing mechanisms to boost fruit and vegetable production in the country.

Shukhrat Ergashev, founder of International Beverages Tashkent and representative of Samarkand Gardens Plast, noted that annual consumption of frozen fruits and vegetables in Russia reaches 1.3 million tonnes, while Uzbekistan currently exports only 30,000–40,000 tonnes. According to him, with properly organized cultivation of crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, and bell peppers, farmers could earn up to 100 million soums per hectare.

He highlighted a major challenge — the shortage of working capital for farmers during the peak agricultural season.

Ergashev proposed a tripartite cooperation model involving banks, farms, and processing plants. Under this model, a bank would provide financing to a farmer, while a processing plant commits to purchasing a fixed quantity of produce at a set price. This approach, he argued, would make it easier for banks to evaluate project feasibility and reduce lending risks.

He also emphasized that at the beginning of the season, farmers face high costs — taxes, fertilizers, fuel, agricultural operations, and wages. He suggested banks provide loans with the government covering 30% to 50% of the refinancing rate as an interest subsidy.

Ergashev stressed that Uzbekistan’s climate is well-suited for growing crops in high demand on the Russian market, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and bell peppers. Broccoli yields, he said, can reach 10–15 tonnes per hectare. He urged authorities to view subsidies not as expenses but as long-term investments. A comprehensive assessment of state support effectiveness, he said, could help determine the returns of such investments over a 5–10 year period.

In his view, a sustainable three-way system between farmers, banks, and processing companies could be built, in which farmers grow the produce, banks supply financial support, and processors ensure guaranteed procurement for further export. Such a model, he believes, could serve as an effective tool for sector development.

He concluded by describing the frozen fruit and vegetable business as stable and predictable, with reduced risks thanks to long storage durations — up to several years.

As a success story, he cited Egypt, which he said supplies up to 90% of Russia’s frozen broccoli and cauliflower imports.