Tashkent, April 09, 2024, The Europe Today: President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan recently toured the agro-logistics complex operated by “BMB Holding” in the Sharof Rashidov district of the Jizzakh region, as reported by Uzbek media sources.
According to the press service of the head of state, Uzbekistan boasts significant potential for agricultural exports. Agrologistics centers that cover all stages of product collection, storage, processing, and sale play a crucial role in leveraging this potential.
The agro-logistics complex operated by “BMB Holding,” inaugurated in December last year, stands as a prominent example of such facilities. With a total investment exceeding $57 million, the complex has the capacity to store 10,000 tons of agricultural products annually and process 8,000 tons. The facility provides permanent employment to 180 individuals.
During his visit, President Mirziyoyev observed the operations within the enterprise, inspecting products ready for export.
Fruit and vegetable produce from the Jizzakh region and neighboring areas are brought to the logistics center. Last year, the agro-cluster within the “BMB Holding” system gathered over 52,000 tons of 16 different crops from more than 1,200 contracted farmers.
Building on the success of the Saykhonabad initiative, the company plans to sign agreements with 2,485 estate owners for cooperative farming. Additionally, approximately 4,000 farms are engaged in cultivating agricultural products across 14,500 hectares, generating more than 32,000 seasonal jobs.
The complex houses a phytosanitary and sanitary-epidemiological certification laboratory, customs and banking branches, and a hostel. Equipped with 34 state-of-the-art machines from Russia, China, the USA, and Germany, the laboratory ensures product quality and safety. The phytosanitary certificates issued here are recognized by 119 countries.
This strategic development has significantly enhanced export potential and widened the geographic reach of the enterprise. To date, products valued at approximately $43 million have been exported to countries including Kazakhstan, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, and China. The company aims to further increase export volumes to $58 million by the end of this year.
President Mirziyoyev emphasized the importance of establishing more agro-logistics centers across different regions, connecting specific fields and neighborhoods to these facilities. This approach ensures steady demand for products among entrepreneurs while guaranteeing a market for local populations.
Notably, “BMB Holding,” founded in 2017, operates four joint ventures and 26 subsidiaries, with investment projects totaling around $1.5 billion across various economic sectors.
The company’s joint venture, “BMB Opera Zafferano,” established a 400-hectare saffron plantation in collaboration with Italian partners. The saffron produced here is USDA ORGANIC certified and exported to several countries, including Italy, Austria, Holland, France, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. It has also gained FDA approval for entry into the US market.
Over the next three years, the value of the saffron project is expected to reach 80 million euros, with production volume increasing from 1.8 tons to 20 tons. President Mirziyoyev endorsed these ambitious plans and issued directives to expand saffron cultivation and exports.
