According to a message from the press service of the President of Uzbekistan, Karakalpakstan intends to create new fruit orchards with a total area of 30,000 hectares and increase fruit exports to 500 million US dollars within three years. Additionally, starting in 2027, a complex for growing and processing melons will be launched in Nukus district.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting dedicated to the comprehensive development of Karakalpakstan. During the meeting, measures were defined to expand agricultural production, create jobs, and enhance the region's export potential.
A three-year program will be developed in the field of horticulture aimed at cultivating plums and apricots adapted to saline soils over an area of 30,000 hectares. The President noted the existing industrial orchard of 330 hectares in Kegeliy district and instructed officials to begin creating similar complexes on territory amounting to 10,000 hectares.
Farmers and soil specialists from the Andzhan region have been invited to Karakalpakstan to implement these projects. Regional governors will sign tripartite agreements with the Horticulture Agency and the Council of Ministers of Karakalpakstan regarding the creation of new orchards.
Land plots must be allocated for each district and water supply ensured within two weeks. Seedlings of varieties suitable for the local climate must be delivered by October 1st. Housing construction is also planned for invited farmers and agronomists.
Each district has been tasked with planting 50 hectares of new orchards this year, with a plan to expand to the target level by spring 2027. The horticulture sector is expected to provide employment for 20,000 people.
Special attention is paid to melon production. Starting next year, melons are planned to be cultivated on an area of 10,000 hectares in Nukus district. For this purpose, seeds of varieties from the United States, Spain, Netherlands, and China will be imported, with the participation of agricultural technology specialists.
The region plans to establish a holding company for the processing and export of melons with the involvement of investors. The Nukus district technical school specializes in melon cultivation and will serve as a center for experience exchange for farmers from Karakalpakstan, Khorezm, Kashkadarya, Jizzakh, and Syrdarya regions.
Measures for the development of livestock farming and poultry farming were also discussed at the meeting. It is planned to increase lending for livestock projects tenfold, as well as introduce subsidies for feed producers.
Within a month, 1,000 hectares of land will be allocated for breeding sheep and goats imported from Mongolia, Turkey, China, and Australia. By the end of the year, projects covering 10,000–15,000 hectares are planned, and in 2027, grazing for 100,000 small ruminants will be organized.
Officials were also instructed to increase the capacity of the recently opened poultry farm in Kegeliy district by two to three times and convert it into a holding company. Furthermore, poultry farming courses are planned to be opened in this district.
Next year, $5 billion in investments are scheduled to be attracted to Karakalpakstan. These funds will be directed towards developing various sectors of the economy, including industry, raw material processing, and agriculture, which is expected to lead to the creation of a large number of new jobs.
At a meeting dedicated to the socio-economic development of Karakalpakstan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev drew attention to the lack of up-to-date data regarding existing reserves of geological raw materials. Currently, research covers only approximately 20% of the region's territory. Due to increasing interest from investors, the goal has been set to intensify geological exploration and conduct a reassessment of deposits.
As an illustration, the President mentioned the 'Urusoy' deposit in the Karauzyak district. A Chinese investor invested $33 million in this project using modern technologies. As a result, gold reserves amounting to 4 tons were discovered on a 200-hectare site, which has already provided employment for 320 people.
Within one month, it was ordered to resolve issues raised by investors and to create a cluster specializing in gold mining and processing that will provide employment for a thousand people. Additionally, a comprehensive geological exploration program and a revision of deposit reserve estimates are planned.
Projects for processing other types of raw materials are also foreseen. At the 'Borsakelmas' deposit in the Kungrad district, 1 million tons of technical salt are realized annually without any processing. At the 'Kuskanatau' deposit in the Bozatau district, the possibility of establishing the processing of mirabilite to produce up to 45 thousand tons of sodium sulfate annually, as well as obtaining magnesium sulfate from astrakhanite, is being considered.
Another project concerns the quartzite deposit in the Beruniy district. A German company plans to invest $30 million to begin producing crystalline silicon and enter the export market with an annual turnover of $25 million. The cost of such raw material on the world market is about $5.5 thousand per ton.
Various plans have also been prepared for other sectors. Projects worth $150 million are planned in the Amudaryo, Beruniy, Takhtakupyr, Kegeyli, and Turtkul districts in the textile and leather industries.
In Nukus, Nukus, and Karauzyak districts, projects in electrical engineering are planned for $200 million. In the Karauzyak, Bozatau, and Beruniy districts, the production of energy-efficient building materials is planned for $100 million. An additional $120 million is allocated for the production of automotive components in Nukus.
Pharmaceutical projects worth $50 million will be implemented in Nukus, Kanlykul, Kegeyli, Chimbay, and Bozatau districts. In the Takhtakupyr district, a joint project with the Italian company Bonifica Ferrarizi worth $50 million will start, where tomatoes and grains will be grown and processed on an area of 2,000 hectares for subsequent export to Europe.
Presentations for potential investors will take place in the respective districts until October 15. Regional heads have been instructed to attract investors and launch projects that contribute to creating 2–3 thousand high-paying jobs. The task of forming specific projects following the 'raw material – finished product – export' scheme has also been set to simultaneously increase employment and added value in the region.
It was previously reported that training according to the British vocational education program Pearson BTEC has started in Nukus. The technical college will also train specialists for a new industrial zone valued at $40 million.
