Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — By the end of 2025, four commercial banks in Uzbekistan — People’s Bank (Navoiy Bank), Microcreditbank, Turonbank, and Aloqabank — will allocate 500 billion Uzbek soums to finance cooperative agricultural production. This initiative is outlined in a government resolution signed on 7 July.

The allocated funds will be directed toward supporting entrepreneurial initiatives in 30 districts across the country. Specifically, the financing targets cooperatives engaged in fish farming, rabbit breeding, livestock and poultry raising, beekeeping, and other forms of agricultural production on household plots and dehkan (smallholder) lands. The program will also subsidize the purchase of agricultural goods from the population.

Participants in these cooperatives will include representatives of small and medium-sized businesses operating within mahalla-based specialization programs. Priority will be given to those with strong community engagement and clear plans for developing their own entrepreneurial activity.

The amount of credit issued will depend on the number of cooperative agreements signed with unemployed citizens or individuals aiming to boost their income:

Up to 1 billion soums for cooperatives with up to 30 agreements;

Up to 3 billion soums for those with 31 to 100 agreements;

Up to 5 billion soums for cooperatives with more than 100 agreements.

Each cooperative agreement will be signed individually with the participant, who must be officially registered as self-employed, a dehkan farm head, or a business entity. One of the key conditions for receiving a loan is that the cooperative must either purchase the participant’s produced goods or provide them with a stable income.

To reduce the financial burden, part of the loan interest will be reimbursed through the Entrepreneurship Development Company.

The Law on Agricultural Cooperatives, signed by the President in 2024, defines a cooperative as an independent commercial organization founded on the voluntary association of individuals and legal entities. Its main goal is to engage in joint agricultural activity, improve production efficiency, reduce costs, and increase participants' income.

The minimum number of founders required to establish a cooperative is seven. A consolidated cooperative may also be formed, consisting of at least three already established cooperatives.