Uzbekistan has entered into a $10 million agreement with China to establish a state-of-the-art agricultural machinery production facility. The deal, announced by the National Center for Knowledge and Innovation in Agriculture (AKIS) under the Ministry of Agriculture, is set to enhance Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector by providing advanced machinery for local farmers.
The agreement follows a visit by a delegation from Uzbekistan, led by Shuhrat Otajonov, Director of AKIS, to China. The delegation toured the Menoble enterprise, part of the China Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences (CAAMS), where they observed the production of cotton seeders and harvesters.
Subsequent discussions led to the signing of a contract between Uzbekistan’s Research Institute of Agricultural Mechanization and the Cotton Breeding, Seed Production and Agrotechnologies Research Institute, and CAAMS. The collaboration aims to create the largest agricultural machinery assembly plant in Central Asia, with an investment of $10 million.
The facility is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of Uzbek agriculture by providing farmers with modern, locally-produced machinery. The move will also reduce the country’s dependence on imported agricultural equipment, further accelerating the sector’s modernization.
Additionally, the Uzbek delegation visited the Institute of Agricultural Research in Zhengzhou, China, to explore collaboration opportunities in cotton farming. They met with Professor Li Fuguang, head of the National Reference Laboratory of Cotton Growing, where discussions focused on developing hybrid cotton seeds with enhanced pest resistance through genetic engineering. Both parties agreed to cooperate on advancing Bt gene-based cotton seed development.
China has been a key investor in Uzbekistan’s Bukhara region, with several projects already underway, including the establishment of an LED lamp production plant and a 4-star hotel. A delegation led by Deputy Khokim Rizo Asadov visited Chinese cities to attract further investments, resulting in agreements for tea plantation development and other industrial ventures.
China remains Uzbekistan’s largest trading partner in early 2025, with trade turnover reaching $2.08 billion, contributing to 19.2% of Uzbekistan’s total trade. While this figure represents a slight decline from the previous year, it is still a significant increase compared to $1.33 billion in 2023.