The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, conducted a training seminar on “Conservation agriculture practices” for farmers in Qamashi district, Kashkadarya region.

This training seminar was organized to implement Resolution No. 102 of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, dated February 26, 2024, on measures to implement the project “Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration Impact Programme in Uzbekistan” (FOLUR).

The seminar was attended by heads of farms that cultivated wheat in irrigated and rainfed conditions. The primary goal was to train farmers on the benefits and practices of conservation agriculture technologies, which help protect soil, improve soil fertility, and enhance water retention capacity. The seminar emphasized adopting conservation agriculture practices that improve agricultural sustainability, reduce production costs, and increase productivity over time.

At the event, recommendations were provided to address the challenges posed by climate change, which is expected to become a significant issue in Uzbekistan in the near future. Long-term climate forecasts indicate rising temperatures and decreasing water availability across the country. Recent years have also seen intensified climate variability, shortened intervals between droughts, and adverse ecological impacts.

The project, supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), focuses on testing and widely implementing climate-adaptive agronomic practices in rainfed areas, mitigating climate change effects, and proposing measures to reduce the negative environmental impacts of climate change.

“During the seminar, participants were given detailed information on the advantages of no-till seeding technologies in mitigating climate change. Specifically, this technology allows for timely seeding, reduces fuel costs, and provides yields equal to or higher than conventional methods. The effectiveness and positive attributes of seeders, compared to traditional methods, were also demonstrated”, said Aziz Nurbekov, Project National Coordinator at FAO Uzbekistan.

The participants gained new knowledge and skills in soil moisture conservation at the seminar, improving soil fertility and minimizing negative environmental impacts. These insights will help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and contribute to the country’s sustainable development of agriculture.

Bekhruz Khudoyberdiyev, UzA