Nearly 6,000 people live in Oqchangal village in Khavas district, Uzbekistan.

Most of them are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. The soil here is relatively salty, so the local population grows melons, on average, harvesting up to 30 tons per hectare. After the sale of the first batch, the residents of Oqchangal begin to dry the melons.

The cost of one kilogram of dried melon is 12-14 thousand UZS. Melon seeds are widely used in pharmaceuticals for the production of medicines.

“There are no families in need in our village”, says resident Mr. Rustam Yuvashev. – Finished products are not only sent to local markets, but also exported to foreign countries.

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Shakhriyor Ortikbayev, UzA