16.02.2022

A videoconferencing was held on February 16 under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to discuss the priority tasks in the livestock industry.

This sector of economy plays an important role in family well-being and food security. The meat, milk and eggs account for 30 percent of daily consumer spending of population.

For over the last three years, eight type of subsidies and soft loans were allocated in accordance with adopted normative acts on cattle breeding. During this period, over 15 trillion Uzbek soums of loans have been allocated for cattle breeding and 4,500 projects have been implemented.

The number of breeding farms has tripled and reached 1,414. As a result, in 2019-2021 the number of livestock increased to 1.2 million.

However, such urgent problems of our time as climate change, reduction of water and land resources, as well as pandemic complicate the process of cattle breeding.

It was noted at the meeting that in Bukhara, Jizzakh, Navoiy, Namangan and Surkhandarya regions, the number of large livestock farms is much lower than in other regions. Although 90 percent of livestock are raised on household farms, there is a lack of a stable fodder base in many areas. Over the past 15 years, the area of forage land has decreased from 430,000 hectares to 340,000 hectares of land and the area of forage crops per head of cattle has decreased from 50 to 27 hectares of land. In Karakalpakstan, Khorezm, Bukhara, Navoiy, Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya, the area under repeated fodder crops has decreased to 23 thousand hectares of land.

In this regard, the issues of supporting a livestock farming, increasing the production of meat, milk and eggs through wide application of resource-saving technologies have become ever more urgent.

The current state and opportunities in the sphere were analyzed at the meeting.

 The President has noted that this year it is possible to provide employment not less than 300 thousand people in cattle breeding, 150 thousand in sheep and goat breeding, 1,2 million in silkworm breeding and total 1 million 650 thousand people.

For this purpose, firstly, it is necessary to increase the number of cattle through the cooperation in households. Our country has exemplary experience in this direction. For example, in Mirishkor District of Kashkadarya Region, the farm «Toshmatov Normumin» has distributed cattle, sheep and goats to residents of the Vori village and has been buying milk and meat. The enterprise «Takhiatosh Chickens» at the Takhiatash District of Karakalpakstan, having provided the population with chickens, procures hatching eggs from it.

The President has highlighted the importance of applying this experience in other regions.

For this purpose, a number of measures of financial support have been defined. Thus, from February this year, foreign credit funds for 10 years with a grace period of 3 years will be allocated. The producers will be able to get compensation for the credit for the rate exceeding 14 percent, the guarantee in the amount of 50 percent of the credit sum, as well as the compensation of 20 percent of expenses to purchase equipment for hydroponic cultivation of fodder.

Another profitable direction is the production and sale of carpets, fabrics and other products made of light wool. The experience of Angren, Kasan, Romitan and Navbakhor districts was noted as an example at the meeting.

It was determined that from this year preferential credits shall be given for purchasing thoroughbred sheep and goats, processing milk, meat and wool, creating feed stores. These loans will be allotted to the population in the amount of up to 50 million Uzbek soums and without collateral on the recommendation of assistant khokims (governors). A half of the interest payments will be compensated.

It was instructed to begin distribution of 350 thousand sheep and goats to the population based on the cooperation, to allocate $100 million for this.

This year 123 major projects shall be implemented in the industry. The President has emphasized that along with the timely launching of projects it is necessary to look for additional opportunities and expand the areas under forage crops.

In particular, each cluster could have a cattle-breeding complex for at least 500 cattle, organizing crop rotation in some areas. The fodder base can also be increased through the reclamation of lands withdrawn from the turnover and the development of new lands.

As it was underscored, $120 million of credits, as well as subsidies, customs and tax benefits shall be directed to support such projects.

The responsible officials were instructed to attract $500 million this year from international financial institutions and to channel these funds into livestock development projects.

The President has paid a special attention to increasing livestock productivity and improving the breeding business. The Samarkand Institute of Veterinary Medicine has been determined to be responsible for the introduction of science and best practices in this area. Now, the status of this institute will be raised and research institutes of veterinary medicine, cattle breeding, poultry farming, fish breeding, Karakul and desert ecology shall be assigned to it.

The institution will be engaged in practical and methodical support of clusters, rendering paid services, conducting short-term courses for population and farmers.

The “Chorvanasl Agency” was entrusted to develop a three-year program to improve breeding region-wise.

On the issues discussed at the meeting the information of branch and regional leaders, opinions and proposals of entrepreneurs was heard.