Uzbekistan's Poultry Industry Gets a Boost: $100 Million Cluster to Enhance Food Security

Uzbekistan is set to establish a poultry cluster worth $100 million, aimed at increasing the country's poultry meat production and enhancing food security. The project, signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, will facilitate the construction of poultry farms, hatcheries, and feed production capacities on 400 hectares of agricultural land in six regions.

The project is expected to attract $40 million in investment from international financial institutions, $35 million from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan, and $25 million from a private project initiator. The cluster will comprise four poultry farms with an annual capacity of 100,000 heads each, followed by two more farms with a capacity of 135,000 heads each.

In addition, the project will involve the construction of a feed mill with a capacity of 700,000 tonnes per year and a slaughterhouse with a broiler meat processing plant to produce 100,000 tonnes of broiler meat annually. This will increase Uzbek poultry meat production by nearly 20%, bolstering food security in the country.

Uzbekistan's population is expected to reach 40 million by 2030, driven by a gradual rise in population growth. The country's poultry industry has been growing steadily, with the government forecasting a $420 million investment in poultry farms by the end of the decade.

To support the growth of the industry, the Uzbek government has made poultry farmers eligible for generous state aid measures, including tax exemptions. The country has also partnered with an American company to bring advanced genetic technologies into its poultry farming sector and establish breeding farms.

The project is aligned with the targets of the Food Security Strategy through 2030, adopted in February 2024. With the establishment of the cluster, Uzbekistan is poised to become a major player in the poultry industry, enhancing its food security and economic growth.