Uzbekistan, Bamyan Discuss Potato Cluster Development Plan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A delegation from Uzbekistan held talks with the governor of Afghanistan’s Bamyan province, Qari Ghulam Haidar Shafaq, focusing on expanding cooperation in agriculture, including potato cultivation and supplies.

The visit took place on the second day of a trip by a delegation led by the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, Davron Vakhabov. The talks primarily focused on developing agricultural cooperation and opportunities for potato imports to Uzbekistan.

Both sides noted that Bamyan is one of Afghanistan’s key potato-producing regions, where around 80% of the population, or about 500,000 people, are employed in the sector.

During discussions, the parties presented an initiative to introduce a cluster model in potato farming. The Uzbek side proposed supplying seed potatoes followed by a mechanism for guaranteed purchase of the harvested crop after maturity.

According to estimates, implementation of the model could ensure annual imports to Uzbekistan of between 50,000 and 300,000 tons of high-quality and affordable potatoes.

Additional areas of cooperation were also discussed, including the creation of a modern storage facility in Bamyan for agricultural products and mineral fertilizers, as well as the development of export infrastructure.

The sides also discussed training local farmers in Uzbekistan under capacity-building programs aimed at introducing modern agricultural technologies.

The governor of Bamyan supported the initiatives presented and expressed readiness to further develop cooperation between the parties.