Tashkent hosted the final workshop of the FAO project on supporting the production and management of rice crops, which is being implemented jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Rice Research Institute.

The event was attended by national and international experts who spoke about the work carried out over the past year, the results of the project and plans.

The project was launched in October of last year and is currently in its final stages. During this time, FAO provided technical support to increase the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture, national experts and farmers to further increase the yield and production of rice in the country.

In particular, pilot plots were established in Andijan and Tashkent regions and the Republic of Karakalpakstan to demonstrate integrated systems and advanced methods of rice cultivation.

To date, the training of industry specialists based on advanced foreign experience has been completed, field schools of farmers have been held on key aspects and new technologies for rice production.

One of the important achievements of the project was the development of a draft National Rice Strategy, as well as technical guidance and supporting training materials for relevant organizations.

Gulrukh Abdullaeva, UzA