A study of uzbekistan fruits and vegetables

2.3 Fruit buyers and quality

In general speaking is that, from January to June, Uzbekistan indicated that the main buyer of Uzbek fruits and vegetables was Kazakhstan. in the period of 6 months, the amount of exports to this country showed 130.2 million US dollar and Russia illustrated its imports from Uzbekistan worth 106,8 million US dollar, and agricultural products totaled 70 USD million were exported from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan. Afghanistan purchased agricultural products from Uzbekistan worth $ 24.2 million. Shipments to China and Pakistan totaled $ 13.4 and $ 12.3 million, respectively.
In January-June, Uzbekistan exported 719 thousand tons of agricultural products worth $ 415 million, Kursiv.kz reports citing the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture of the republic.
Uzbek fruits and vegetables are shipped to 59 countries. The bulk of exports were vegetables – 451.2 thousand tons in the amount of $ 144.4 million, and 138.7 thousand tons of fruit were delivered in the amount of $ 143.3 million. The export of legumes and grapes amounted to 50 and 28.7 thousand tons, respectively ($ 49.8 million and $ 32.2 million). The export of nuts reached 4.4 thousand tons for $ 13.1 million. The supply of melons is also equal to 4.4 thousand tons for $ 2.3 million.
Afghanistan purchased agricultural products from Uzbekistan worth $ 24.2 million. Shipments to China and Pakistan totaled $ 13.4 and $ 12.3 million, respectively.
Besides, Besides, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China became the main export markets for fruit and vegetable products. The largest volume of exports (in value terms) falls on Russia (30.5 percent of the total volume of fruit and vegetable products), which exceeds the volume of exports to China by 2.6 times.

2.4 The role of prices

Prices for fruits and vegetables in Uzbekistan have risen sharply over the year.
According to EastFruit analysts, the main set of fruits and vegetables in Uzbekistan has risen in price by more than 1.5 times over the year – by 53%. Prices for vegetables grew much faster than those for fruits. Note that we talk about wholesale prices – as a rule, they vary more notably than retail prices. We decided to understand the reasons and prospects for the growth or decline in prices for fruits and vegetables in Uzbekistan in the coming month. The vegetable basket, including potatoes, has risen in price in Uzbekistan by about 85% over the year if comparing prices in October 15, 2021 to the same date in 2020. Its price was at a record high for this period. Table grape prices fell in Uzbekistan – they were on average a 25% lower than last year. As you see, our forecasts are coming true. Production is growing, and the demand for Uzbek grapes in the external market is falling. But local consumers should be satisfied.
Prices for imported bananas dropped by about the same 25%. Obviously, Uzbek consumers are buying more bananas and importers are improving logistics following the difficulties of last year’s lockdowns. Therefore, there is an increase in the efficiency of trade. However, banana prices are likely to rise in the near future as the global logistics issues are getting worse. Also, wholesale prices for imported oranges decreased by 10% in Uzbekistan. The reasons are the same as for bananas. Mandarin rose in price due to the situation in key supplier countries.
Uzbek melons have risen in price by 29%. The higher price level is explained by the growth of melon exports and higher demand. However, this seasonal product is no longer an important part of the consumer’s basket, so its impact on the overall fruit prices will decrease.
Apples, the most important fruit for local consumers in the winter, have risen in price more than all other fruits, except for pears. Uzbekistan is a unique country in this regard, since apple prices have fallen sharply in most other countries. Therefore, despite relatively high apple prices on the domestic market, we do not expect their large growth in winter, as cheaper apples can be imported from China or Eastern European countries: Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, etc. We even receive reports of the first shipments of Moldovan apples to Uzbekistan, although their import to Uzbekistan usually starts in winter.
It is obvious that the rise in prices for many fruit and vegetables in Uzbekistan in winter can become an unpleasant phenomenon for local consumers, but can also be a good opportunity for the development of exports, which will lead to an increase in production and quality, and therefore stabilization of prices next year.