The President of Uzbekistan signed a decree on March 13 aimed at digitizing the agricultural sector and introducing modern technologies. The document focuses on developing the agro-sector, creating a system of “smart” services, and expanding financial support for farmers. According to the decree, “Agrobank” has been designated as the main driver of changes, with the task of attracting additional resources amounting to 25 trillion soums by 2026.
The bank is tasked with establishing agro-service zones in every region of the country by the end of 2026. In these zones, farmers will be able to receive free consultations from agronomists, conduct soil analysis, order “in-vitro” seedlings, and learn about new technologies. Additionally, “Agrobank” will create an Agricultural Monitoring Center to centrally analyze data on the condition of crop fields (space data, meteorological conditions, plant vegetation), utilizing big data technology and satellite imagery.
The decree stipulates that “Agrobank” will finance the purchase of unmanned aerial vehicles for the “Uzbekkosmos” agency to expand aerospace monitoring of agricultural lands. The parties will also jointly implement a monitoring system for the targeted use of preferential loans allocated for cotton and grain cultivation, based on data obtained via satellites and drones. “Agrobank” is assigned to carry out pilot projects on introducing artificial intelligence in agriculture: monitoring horticulture in Jizzakh region and livestock monitoring in Syrdarya region.
A mobile application (SuperApp) will be developed for agro-enterprises, integrating bank and state services with AI-based solutions. Within “Agrobank,” a subsidiary venture company, Agro Ventures, will be established, with 73 billion soums allocated for its formation. The company will assist in implementing 10 agro-startups in 2026–2027, collaborate with venture funds ranked among the world’s top 50, and organize hackathons and allocate grants for innovative ideas.
The decree introduces a new credit procedure for households and dehkan farms. They can obtain loans for growing figs, dates, apples, and pears for a term of 84 months (7 years) with a 24-month grace period at an annual rate of 18%. The document envisions transforming training in agrotechnologies: the online platform “Farmers School” will host over 40 new video lessons and online courses, with plans to train 15,000 farmers and dehkan farms annually. The “Water Savers School” will educate 10,000 farm households per year on water-saving technologies. The University of Digital Economy and Agrotechnologies will introduce joint programs with leading agricultural universities in China. By 2030, “Agrobank” will allocate 10 grants, each up to 2 billion soums, for introducing high technologies and digital platforms in the agro-sector.
Source: www.gazeta.uz