Food Imports to Uzbekistan Increase by 39%
Domestic demand is growing faster than agricultural production, so the country is simultaneously expanding food output and purchases from abroad.
According to data from the Statistics Agency under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, from January to August 2026, the country imported food products and live animals worth $3.72 billion—39.3% more than in the same period the previous year. For the domestic market, this means that the growing need for food is increasingly being met by supplies from abroad.
Meanwhile, domestic production is not declining. The output of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products in the first half of the year increased by 4.7%, and production by large enterprises also showed growth.
The main factor remains consumer demand: real retail turnover in January–July rose by 20.2%. As a result, imports are increasing across several sectors, rather than due to a shortage of any single product.
A significant portion of purchases consisted of grain and grain products, meat, sugar, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and eggs. Over the summer, demand for meat remained high: poultry was supplied by Turkey, Russia, China, Belarus, and the USA, while mutton came mainly from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. Beef was primarily sourced from India, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.
At the same time, imports of certain goods changed differently: potato purchases decreased, while coffee continued to be imported from abroad. The statistics do not indicate a decline in agriculture but rather a gap between the growth rates of production and consumption.
