Uzbekistan, Tashkent, May 7 /Trend D.Azizov/
Uzbekistan plans to increase production of vegetables by 10.5 percent- up to 7.732 million tons in 2012 compared to 2011, the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic said on Monday.
In addition, the production of melons is planned to increase by 5.4 percent - up to 1.365 million tons, potatoes - by 7.4 percent, up to two million tons, fruit - by 8.2 percent, to 2.025 million tones of grapes - by 5.7 percent to 1.152 million tons.
The Ministry said in 2012 241.1 thousand hectares of land area in the republic is devoted under the major and minor vegetable crops (tomatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, etc.), in particular, potatoes - 84.1 thousand hectares, melons culture - 57.8 thousand hectares. The area of fruit-bearing orchards is 185.2 thousand hectares of the total garden area amounted to 244.7 thousand hectares, fruit bearing vineyards - 110.6 thousand hectares out of 134.2 thousand hectares.
Some 4.9 thousand hectares of new fruit-bearing orchards, 2.4 thousand hectares of new vineyards and 554 hectares of new orchards are planted on intensive technology.
Some 33.4 thousand tons of vegetables are produced in the first quarter of 2012. Agriculture and Water Resources ministry added that harvesting on the volume set out by forecasted figures continues.
According to State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, the total acreage of crops in farms of all categories was 3.6 million hectares in 2011. In total 1.862 million tones potatoes (10 per cent compared with 2010), vegetables - 6.994 million tons (an increase of 10.2 per cent), melons - 1.295 million tons (an increase of 9.5 percent), fruit - 1.871 million tons (an increase of 9.4 percent), grapes - 1.090 million tons (an increase of 10.4 per cent) were harvested last year.
