According to him, by 1 December of 2008, a total of 25,000 tonnes of various products - potato, onion, rice, flour, vegetable oil, dried fruits, melons and gourds - will be stored up for Uzbekistan’s townspeople.

"I believe that such winter stocks will make it possible to steadily supply the country’s people with essential foodstuffs, and to prevent unreasonable rises in their prices," Fayziyev said. He said that the global economic crisis had affected all countries without exception.

"We are taking all the necessary measures to prevent illegal export of essential foodstuffs produced in Uzbekistan to other countries. Additional measures have been mapped out to store up enough amounts of fruits and vegetables, potato, as well as melon and gourds to ensure their steady sale during the off-season until the next crops ripen. We have already stored up 13,000 tonnes of agricultural products in our storage facilities. This is more than half of the [amount specified in] agreements signed with Uzbek farmers," Fayziyev explained.

In conclusion, he also said that US$30 million currency funds obtained from the export of agricultural products over the first nine month of 2008 would also be spent on the import of essential foodstuffs (flour, rice, vegetable oil and others), the production of which is limited or not set up in the country. "Over 5,000 tonnes of rice, 5,500 tonnes of vegetable oil, and 500 tonnes of various products have been imported to date," Fayziyev said.