Uzbekistan Turns to Soybean With a Big Ambition
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Soybean acreage in Uzbekistan is growing year by year. In 2022, Uzbekistan planned to sow 146.5 thousand hectares of Soybeans, including 82.5 thousand hectares in open fields and 64.0 thousand hectares in cotton inter-rows. Five artesian wells have been dug and put into operation on more than 100 hectares of rainfed lands sown with Soybeans, and sprinkling technology has been introduced.
In particular, Soybeans were grown on 18.5 thousand hectares in 2018, 19.8 thousand hectares in 2019, and 17.3 thousand hectares in 2020. By the end of the last year, Uzbekistan was expected to produce 165.0 thousand tons of Soybeans. Also, it was projected to produce 34,000 tons of vegetable oil and 128,000 tons of Soybean Meal. Soybean Meal was planned for 38 million industrial birds’ feed. The USDA forecasted the country’s domestic Soybean consumption at 30,000 tons for MY2022/2023.
Given the growing demand for Soybeans and other oilseeds in Uzbekistan, the first elite Soybean and oilseed seed farm was established in the country in 2022. For a centralized seed farm in the Altynbashak massif of Gallyaaral district of the Jizzakh region, 512 hectares of land have been allocated, of which 357 hectares are sown with Soybeans and 100 hectares with safflower. By the end of the last year, it was planned to grow 800 tons of selected seeds in these areas. High-yielding super-elite and elite Soybean seeds of local selection “Tomaris Man-60”, “Ustoz,” “Baraka,” and “Gavkhar” are grown.
The optimal sowing time for Soybeans as the main crop in Uzbekistan is from March 25 to April 5 in the southern regions, from 1 to 15 April in the central areas, and from 15 to 25 April in the northern regions. And early-ripening varieties can be sown until mid-May. The sowing period as a secondary crop is carried out in June after the autumn harvest of grain crops. Harvesting depends on the timing of sowing and the early or late maturity of the varieties.
Soy protein is very similar to animal protein. Therefore, low-fat soy flour is used as a source of protein in the diet of birds and small domestic animals (sheep, goats), dairy, and beef cattle. At the same time, Soybean oil is easily digestible and harmless to humans.
Uzbekistan’s Soybean Meal Trade
In August 2022, traders from Uzbekistan imported 700 tons of Soybean Meal from the USA for the first time, according to the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council (MSR&PC). The Council Director Patrick O’Leary noted: Getting Soybeans to Uzbekistan can be difficult because it is a landlocked country. However, it creates an opportunity to significantly expand the market for Minnesota Soybean farmers.
Since the beginning of 2020, MSR&PC has invested in projects in Uzbekistan to determine the country’s needs for the US Soybean. Moreover, it is noted that supplies of US Soybean to Uzbekistan “do not displace anyone” on this market because sunflower seed, sunflower Meal, cottonseed Meal, wheat, and other products are mainly used in the country. MSR&PC reported that they would continue to work on developing Soybean supplies to Uzbekistan.
In 2020, Uzbekistan imported Soybean Meal worth $78.1 million, becoming the world’s 55th largest importer of Soybean Meal. In the same year, Soybean Meal was Uzbekistan’s 54th most imported product. Uzbekistan imports Soybean Meal primarily from: Russia ($30.3 million), Latvia ($22 million), Argentina ($11.1 million), Kazakhstan ($7.17 million), and Lithuania ($3.27 million).
The same year, Uzbekistan exported $913k in Soybean Meal, making it the 66th largest exporter of Soybean Meal in the world. The leading destinations of Soybean Meal exports from Uzbekistan are Tajikistan ($675k) and Afghanistan ($238k)
Other sources: USDAILY
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