Visit Uzbekistan – emerging exporter of fruits and vegetables

EastFruit offer a unique opportunity for people from the fresh produce industry – to visit a truly unique rapidly developing country, combining fruitful business (B2B meetings with largest exporters, local supermarkets, company visits) with tourism (Bukhara, Samarkand). The visit is planned for 15-20 September, 2022 – in the middle of the harvesting season!

EastFruit team takes care of local logistics and the program.

Why is Uzbekistan unique in terms of fruit & vegetables?

• Uzbekistan’s population is 34 mln with an annual growth rate of 1.9% (additional 650,000 consumers per year!).
• Uzbekistan is among the global leaders in exports of fresh apricots, cherries, table grapes, peaches, melons and watermelons, onions, tomatoes, persimmons, dried fruits, and other produce items.
• Uzbekistan has 320 sunny days per year and fruits have a very high sugar content.
• Uzbekistan is expanding production of fruits and vegetables faster than most countries worldwide.
• Uzbekistan has a good access to the Chinese market as well as to the markets of Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

Why is Uzbekistan unique in terms culture and tourism?

• UNESCO Heritage cities of Bukhara and Samarkand, legendary cities of the Silk Road, are more than 2000 years old and have lots of unique sites to visit, which will look different from anything you have seen thus far (google it now)!
• These cities are extremely beautiful and very few people in the world have visited them yet!
• Uzbekistan’s food traditions are also unique with pilaf, samsa, achichiuk, shurpa, lagman, obi non, manti, dolma, shivit oshi helping you fall in love with this country from the first meal.
• Vegetables even at the restaurants will have rich taste and flavour and fresh and dried fruit variety will puzzle you but will surely please your eyes.
• Have you heard of Eastern Bazars? They are truly colourful, and you will see it yourself!
• Melons in Uzbekistan will taste like pure honey – you can’t stop eating these! And yes, the visit will be in the middle of the melon madness!

What do you get out of this visit?

• Direct meetings with the best and largest growers and exporters of fruits & vegetables from Uzbekistan.
• Direct meetings with supermarket buyers working in Uzbekistan (produce departments).
• Exclusive analytical market report for Uzbekistan, prepared by EastFruit team, including information about production, exports, and retail.
• Great pictures of beautiful and unique cities of Bukhara and Samarkand (if you opt for the tourist part of the visit).
• Nostalgy for the taste of the great Uzbek food, dried and fresh fruits, and vegetables!

Event Program:

Thursday 15 September

Arrival to Tashkent, Uzbekistan

13:00 Visit to the Pilaf Center (traditional lunch)

14:00 Quick city tour on the way to the vineyards of “Rikhsi Zar Marjon” (50 ha of table grapes and cold storage) and “Zarkent Zufar” (30 ha table grapes and cold storage)

19-00 Dinner Reception with participation ща the local fruit trade, networking

Friday 16 September

09:00 Uzbekistan: what makes its fresh produce unique? Sourcing opportunities now and in the near future. Q&A. Andriy Yarmak, FAO

09-30 Pre-scheduled B2B meetings (15 minutes per company)

13-30 Lunch

14-30 Visiting the largest wholesale market FOOD CITY

17-00 Visit to the Distribution Center of a local retail chain (TBC)

19-00 Dinner

 Saturday 17 September (optional, some companies may opt to leave)

07-30 Departure to Samarkand by fast train (2 hours trip)

10-00 City Tour (4 hrs)

14-00 Lunch

15:00 Check in the hotel

15-30 Farm visit (TBC)

18-00 Dinner with local fruit & vegetable exporters, networking

Sunday 18 September

8-00 Visit to the Uzbek-British JV “Samarkand Garden Plast” (2,000 ha of orchards, fresh exports of fruits and vegetables, freezing and canning of fruits, freezing vegetables)

11-00 Visit to LLC “OHALIK OLTIN BOGI” (3,265 ha of orchards: apricots, peaches, apples, cherries, etc.; freezing and canning of fruits; production of fruit purees and concentrates)
14-00 lunch

15-00 Departure to Bukhara by bus (4:30 hours trip)

19:30 Check in the hotel

20-30 Dinner

Monday 19 September

09-00 City Tour

13-00 Lunch and networking with local fruit exporters

15-00 Free time

20-00 Departure to airport. Uzbekistan Airways HY24 flight to Tashkent departing at 22:40 and arriving at 23:40.

Tuesday 20 September

Free time, departures from Tashkent

Registration through this link.