The Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, Ibrohim Abdurakhmonov, announced plans to strengthen cooperation in the agricultural and food sectors with India. These plans include increasing meat imports, establishing joint processing enterprises, and introducing new crop varieties during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tashkent.
The central focus of the interaction remains seed production, as Indian companies are introducing new crop varieties in Uzbekistan. In the Khorezm region, salt-tolerant cotton varieties are being tested over an area of 12,000 hectares, and new vegetable and fodder seeds are also being imported.
In the meat sector, Uzbekistan intends to increase purchases of cheaper Indian meat through joint ventures and updated agreements with the Allana Group. This initiative covers both imports and production projects, with Uzbek specialists participating in processing and halal slaughtering directly in India to ensure compliance with quality standards and certification. Supply logistics will be managed with the participation of Turkish partners via the Port of Mersin.
Currently, India is the main supplier of beef to Uzbekistan. In the first half of 2026, Uzbekistan imported 72,000 tons of beef worth $359.5 million, which is 9.1% more than in the same period of 2025. India supplied 33,900 tons, accounting for about 47% of the total beef import volume. Additional supplies came from Belarus (19,600 tons), Kazakhstan (10,600 tons), and Pakistan (4,000 tons).
Bilateral agricultural trade between the two countries has increased more than threefold in recent years. Uzbekistan exports more than 30 types of agricultural products to India, and the government is shifting from transit through third countries to direct supplies, especially concerning pulses.
Furthermore, Uzbekistan is expanding domestic jute cultivation to reduce the import of natural fibers, which currently costs nearly $30 million annually. Jute is currently grown on an area of about 2,000 hectares, and there are plans to increase the cultivated area to at least 50,000 hectares for use with cotton in textile production. It is also worth noting that Uzbekistan imported over 10 tons of early-maturing cumin seeds from India in partnership with Nath Bio-Genes to conduct joint planting trials between cotton rows in various regions.