21.09.2020

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting on September 21 to analyze the effectiveness of reforms in the sphere of field plant quarantine.

The reforms in progress in agriculture as a whole and the current export policy seek to promote production of goods that meet world market requirements. To this end, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev embarked on transforming the plant protection sphere, and established the Plant Quarantine Inspectorate. This government agency is tasked with introducing international standards into the sector, promoting exports, concluding agreements with foreign partners, setting up plant clinics and biological laboratories, implementing scientific achievements to the field, training qualified personnel, among others.

As a result of the initial steps on this front, permits have been obtained to export thus far 78 types of goods to 19 countries of the world.

As a substitute to dozens of paper documents for certification, an integrated online system was introduced for everyone’s convenience, and the processing time for exporters’ applications is reduced from 10 days to 1.

Officials in charge of the sphere briefed the head of our state with current and prospective works. The President voiced the most critical tasks.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted the availability of potential for entering new export markets and selling products at prices 3-4 times more expensive than current ones. It was stressed that in order to produce goods in accordance with international phytosanitary requirements, it is essential to assign quarantine inspectors to each enterprise engaged in the procurement, packaging and export of products.

The head of our state pointed out the importance of holding negotiations with Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Qatar, Mongolia, Afghanistan and other countries in order to open up the opportunity for our entrepreneurs to supply fruits and vegetables such as cherries, pomegranates, grapes and melons. The President underscored the need for full use of the principle “from field to exports”.

Uzbekistan has planned to bring the exports of agricultural products to $ 5 billion in the coming years. For this, it is vital to boost the scientific potential of the sphere, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said, and introduce an internationally recognized certification system. To this end, the head of state proposed to launch a major research center. Instructions were given thus to ensure the integration of science and practice, to explain in detail the international sanitary requirements to specialists. Corresponding curricula and disciplines will also be introduced at the Tashkent State Agrarian University and its branches.

Today, 205 plant clinics and 690 biological laboratories operate in the field with the participation of the private sector. The President stressed the need to increase the number of such institutions to secure quality and competition.

The State Plant Quarantine Inspectorate was instructed to fully integrate its database into the Single Window online system of customs authorities by December 1.