TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 16. Uzbekistan and Afghanistan decided to ink a deal on cotton cultivation on a whopping 300 hectares in 2025, all while harnessing the power of Uzbek technologies, Trend reports.
The news followed a meeting between Uzbekistan’s Minister of Agriculture Ibrohim Abdurahmonov with the head of Afghanistan’s Spinzar Kunduz state corporation Abdul Hafiz Faryad.
During the meeting, the parties agreed to sign an agreement within the framework of the business forum to be held on August 17 this year. The agreement also envisages the implementation of a project on rice cultivation on an area of 400 hectares and the supply of crude cotton oil to Afghanistan. In addition, an agreement was reached on the joint cultivation of agricultural products in Afghanistan, their processing, and their export to third countries.
The sides also reviewed issues of expanding cooperation in the future on growing potatoes, sunflowers, sugar beets, and other crops in Afghanistan by Uzbek entrepreneurs, with partial export of crops to Uzbekistan or other countries.
Meanwhile, the trade turnover volume between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan totaled $461.4 million from January through June 2024. This indicator has increased by 24.1 percent year-on-year ($371.8 million in January–June 2023).
The volume of exports to Afghanistan from Uzbekistan amounted to $448.3 million, while imports from Afghanistan reached $13.1 million during this period.