Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 3 October 2020, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov, via video conferencing, held talks with a number of foreign investors successfully operating in Uzbekistan, in particular, with the founder of the company Silverleaf International by D. Patterson and Chief Executive Officer of Indorama A. Lohia.

During the dialogue with D. Patterson, the issues of the current activities of the cotton cluster operating in Pakhtakor district of Jizzakh region, where for the first time in Uzbekistan a cycle of growing and harvesting cotton with full mechanization of the process and the introduction of water-saving technologies, was considered. At present, 125 units of advanced agricultural equipment are used on the territory of the cluster with an area of 11.7 thousand hectares, and the Pulsar system is functioning, which can significantly reduce water consumption and increase yields by 20%.

Practical aspects of further expansion of the cluster were discussed by organizing the production of textile products with high added value on orders from leading foreign brands, for which the company is already introducing high social and environmental standards of doing business in Uzbekistan.

During the conversation with the management of Indorama, the scale and dynamics of the company's investment activities in Uzbekistan were emphasized - back in 2011, Singaporean investors created a spinning mill in Kokand, while the volume of foreign investment amounted to US$130 million.

Currently, the company is implementing a project to create a cotton-textile cluster in Kashkadarya, Syrdarya and Ferghana regions with a total area of about 100 thousand hectares, as well as a project to modernize the Kokand superphosphate plant.

During the negotiations, the parties agreed on further steps to accelerate the implementation of Indorama's investment programs in Uzbekistan.

The issues of the current cotton harvesting campaign were also touched upon - it was noted that at this stage 32 thousand pickers were involved in picking cotton on an individual contract basis, and all data is recorded for the subsequent audit of all cotton picking processes with the involvement of international human rights organizations.

In the near future, the company plans to switch to fully mechanized cotton picking using special equipment, which will allow harvesting the current crop in a short time. According to the leadership of Indorama, the practical implementation of modern international standards in cotton production is one of the most important factors that create opportunities for cooperation with foreign brands.

Following the negotiations, foreign investors were guaranteed comprehensive support in the implementation of ongoing projects and in resolving emerging issues.