Unit 2. Food Industry in Uzbekistan

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Describe the main advantages of food production in Uzbekistan
- Identify key agricultural products of Uzbekistan
- Understand the challenges of the food processing industry in the country
- Use common phrasal verbs correctly

Theory

Uzbekistan is an extremely fertile country and one of the primary producers of fruits and vegetables in the CIS. It produces a variety of high-quality agricultural products, ranging from higher-end goods like cherries and pomegranates to basic commodities like wheat and cotton.

Uzbekistan is currently regarded as one of the most promising investment destinations for food processing in the world due to its wide range of high-quality and reasonably priced products, easy access to the expanding consumer markets in Russia and Central Asia, transportation and logistics accessibility, and a large pool of highly skilled and reasonably priced human resources. Additionally, the country offers a generous array of government incentives.

The economy of Uzbekistan is opening up and growing quickly. Over the previous five years, GDP growth rates have ranged from 7.0 to 9.5%. With a youthful population, Uzbekistan is experiencing tremendous growth in purchasing power.

However, food production in Uzbekistan is not without difficulties. The majority of fruit and vegetable growers are small businesses with low degrees of mechanization. The distribution network is growing but still requires significant investment, and quality standards vary depending on the product and the grower.

Key Terms

fertile, primary producer, agricultural products, investment destination, food processing, consumer markets, logistics, skilled labor, government incentives, GDP growth, mechanization, distribution network, quality standards

Exercise

1. Answer the questions:
1. What makes Uzbekistan one of the primary producers of fruits and vegetables in the CIS?
2. Why is Uzbekistan considered a promising investment destination for food processing?
3. What are the main challenges of food production in Uzbekistan?

2. True or False:
1. Uzbekistan produces only high-end products like cherries and pomegranates. (False)
2. The country has easy access to consumer markets in Russia and Central Asia. (True)
3. Most fruit and vegetable growers are large industrial farms. (False)

Mini Quiz

1. Uzbekistan is one of the primary producers of fruits and vegetables in the ________.
a) EU
b) CIS
c) USA

2. GDP growth rates in Uzbekistan have ranged from ________ % in recent years.
a) 3–5
b) 7–9.5
c) 10–12

3. Most fruit and vegetable growers in Uzbekistan are ________ businesses.
a) large industrial
b) small
c) foreign