Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- To date, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan is carrying out a number of works to ensure price stability and full satisfaction of domestic demand for one of the main food products in the republic - potatoes.

For the harvest of 2022, it is planned to plant 243,000 hectares of potatoes in all categories of farms. This figure is 86,000 hectares more than in 2021.

Thus, according to the proposals received from the regions, in 2022, potatoes will be grown in farms and agricultural enterprises on an area equal to 153,000 hectares (70,000 hectares more).

Potatoes are planted on 115.5 thousand hectares (65 thousand hectares more) of the main areas, 7.3 thousand hectares (4.4 thousand hectares more) - between rows of orchards and vineyards, 30 thousand hectares - secondary areas, as well as 90 thousand hectares (by 10,000 hectares more than in 2021) lands of dehkan farms and household plots of the population.

In 2022, 4.1 million tons (772 thousand tons or 123% more) of potatoes are expected to be harvested from these areas. In particular, 2.6 million tons of potatoes will be grown in farms, and 1.5 million tons in household plots.

According to analytical data received from the regions, in the spring of 2022, potatoes were planted on 90,000 hectares of the main areas (40,000 hectares more than in 2021) of farmers and agricultural enterprises.

To date, in the southern regions - in Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions, from the fields planted with potatoes in the early stages (February-March), they dig up the first crop and deliver it to the domestic market. In addition, partial digging of potatoes has begun in the Samarkand and Tashkent regions.

The situation in foreign markets in terms of potato prices

Today, the average price of potatoes in the republic is 4,700 soums.

The price of potatoes in our country is lower than in most countries, for example, 936 soums lower than in Georgia, 604 soums in Russia and 162 soums in Belarus.

It should be noted that in Moldova (1275), Poland (2048), Tajikistan (3153), Ukraine (2822) the prices for these products are lower than in Uzbekistan.

Today, in these countries, compared with May 7 this year (May 26), potato prices in the markets have increased by an average of 111%.

In particular, prices increased by 105% in Uzbekistan, 142% in Georgia and 126% in Russia, by 116% in Belarus, by 124% in Moldova, by 114% in Poland, by 56% in Tajikistan and 106% in Ukraine.