In late March to early April, the harvest of early white cabbage began in the Surxondaryo region of Uzbekistan—the southernmost part of the country—and is now in full swing. Unlike the same period last year, farmers are very satisfied with the season. According to EastFruit experts, this year they are shipping their produce at prices that are, on average, six times higher than last year.
Currently, farmers are selling early cabbage at wholesale prices ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 Uzbek soums per kilogram, which is equivalent to 31 to 39 US cents per kilo. For comparison, during the same period last year, wholesale farmgate prices ranged between 500 to 1,000 soums per kilogram, or 4 to 8 US cents.
According to Gulomjon Usmanov, Director of Asiyo Oltin Urug LLC, a major distributor of vegetable seeds in the Surxondaryo region, the primary reason for this price surge is a significant reduction in planted areas for early white cabbage in late autumn and early winter of last year.
“The early white cabbage currently being harvested in Surxondaryo is from fast-ripening varieties. Seeds are sown from late October to late November in unheated, tunnel-shaped plastic greenhouses. Then, from early to late December, the seedlings are transplanted into larger areas—also in plastic-covered tunnel structures. The cabbage remains under plastic until the end of January or until about February 15–20, depending on weather conditions. After that, the plastic covers and metal arches are removed, and the cabbage finishes maturing in open fields,” Usmanov explained.
Read also: In Uzbekistan Prices for Last Year’s Onions Are Rising Amid the Arrival of New Harvest Batches
The main production areas for early white cabbage are located in the Angor district of Surxondaryo. According to Usmanov’s observations, the planted area in this district decreased substantially last autumn and early winter.
“It’s hard to quantify the exact scale of the reduction, since early cabbage is mostly grown by small and medium-sized farms,” he added.
Usmanov noted that the decrease in planting was likely caused by low prices during last year’s season, when many farmers either suffered losses or ended the season with zero profit. This is because the cost of growing cabbage in covered (protected) ground is significantly higher than in open fields.
Uzbekistan is the largest producer and exporter of white cabbage in Central Asia, with annual exports ranging from 70,000 to 150,000 tonnes, according to EastFruit experts.
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