Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- One of the most important tasks of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan is the continuous provision of the population with socially significant food products, thereby increasing food security. Today, measures are being taken to increase the volume of cultivation and production, to form the necessary stocks of such products, including through their importation from abroad.

In 2022, in order to provide the population with vegetable oil, it is planned to sow cotton seeds on 1 million 34 thousand hectares and oilseeds on 266 thousand hectares. This figure is 32% higher than in 2021 and 2.6 times higher than in 2020. Also this year, it is planned to produce 2 million 138 thousand tons of raw cotton from cotton and 366 thousand tons of oilseed products (13% more compared to 2021 and 3.5 times more than in 2020).

As a result, according to preliminary estimates, the republic has the ability to produce a total of 476 thousand tons of oil and fat products. This is 385 thousand tons of cottonseed oil and 91 thousand tons of vegetable oil (sunflower, soybean, sesame, linseed, safflower). The products planned to be produced must fully cover the annual demand of the population in the domestic consumer market, which is equal to an average of 460 thousand tons of vegetable oil. However, vegetable oil is also used to feed livestock and poultry, with an annual demand of 100,000 tons. As a result, only 82% of the needs of the population can be met.

Currently, more than 80 oil and fat enterprises operate in the country, their average annual production capacity is 3.5 million tons. Of these, 1.2 million tons account for the processing of oilseeds.

According to the latest data, in January-March 2022, 21.3 thousand tons of vegetable oil and 39 thousand tons of sunflower seeds were imported. This means that, compared with the corresponding period of 2021, the volume of vegetable oil imports decreased by 35.5 thousand tons, or 2.7 times, sunflower seeds - by 12.8 thousand tons, or 1.33 times. The main share of imports falls on the Republic of Kazakhstan - 16 thousand tons (75%) of vegetable oil and 30 thousand tons (77%) of sunflower seeds.

The main reason for the decline in vegetable oil imports in January-March of this year was the abolition of value added tax on the import of vegetable, sunflower, linseed and soybean oils and their sale on the domestic market from 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2022. In addition, the increase in acreage and oilseed yields, the creation of stocks of products by enterprises led to a decrease in imports. These measures were implemented in accordance with the Laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures to provide the population with certain types of food products” and “On amendments and additions to some legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in connection with the further strengthening of the guarantees of the rights of citizens and business entities”.

A number of measures are being taken in the republic to develop the oilseeds industry. According to the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures to create an institute of agrotechnology and agriculture of Karakalpakstan”, an educational and scientific center “Breeding, seed production and agrotechnology of oilseeds” was established at the Institute of Agrotechnology and Agriculture of Karakalpakstan. Over the past 3 years, research institutions and scientists working in the country have created and included in the state register 21 types of oilseeds suitable for the soil and climatic conditions of the republic.