The United States Government and the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan held a contest for the best varieties of grapes at a Tashkent State Agrarian University (TSAU) Grape Festival on September 12, 2018. This annual event, supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), brings grape growers from across Uzbekistan to showcase the best of their produce and compete for prizes.
A panel of judges gave prizes for the most marketable, the most unique, and the sweetest grape varieties. Event spectators voted on their favorite grapes for a special “people’s choice” award.
Opening the event, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and USAID emphasized the importance of bilateral collaboration in the agrarian sector. Gary Robbins, USAID Country Director in Uzbekistan, noted “Horticulture is one of the priority areas of collaboration between USAID and the Uzbek government. We are pleased to help in the development of this sector by bringing best practices from the United States and other countries around the world and sharing them with Uzbek farmers. We are happy to see that producers and others along the value chain in Uzbekistan are actively adopting new techniques, improving the quality of their produce and generating better incomes.”
As part of the festival, TSAU professors and experts from USAID’s Agricultural Value Chains (AVC) project gave talks on the latest trends in grape production, post-harvest techniques, and information on markets. Event organizers also released a newly published books on fruit and vegetable production in hardcopy and electronically.
USAID’s five year, $14 million AVC project is designed to improve the horticultural sector along the entire value chain, creating jobs, improving incomes, and increasing fruit yield and quality.
Winners:
The most unique – Noyob
Khurmatov Rakhmatillo
“Abdurashid Michurin” FE
Bulokboshi district, Andijan
The sweetest – Shirin
Yusubaliev Asqarali
“Vazira Gulbog” FE
Parkent district, Tashkent
People’s choice – Ishtirokchilar tanlovi
Saydullaev Asatullo
“Asadbek Izum Serviz”FE
Payariq district, Samarkand
The most marketable – Bozorbop
Azizbek Khamraliev
“Azizbek AXA” FE
Kuvasoy district, Fergana
