උස්බෙකිස්තානයේ මිදි සැනකෙළිය

Grand int'l grape festival held in Uzbekistan to boost industry, tourism

Uzbekistan hosted the International Festival of Grapes and Winemaking in the Parkent district of the Tashkent region on Friday and Saturday to raise industry awareness as well as boost export and tourism.

The event, organized jointly by the country's Tourism Committee and the government of the Tashkent region, aims to increase the flow of tourists, exchange experience in viticulture and winemaking, bring ecotourism products to the world market and attract foreign investment to the republic.

The festival included agricultural fairs, exhibitions of international wine industry brands, and international conferences on viticulture. Scientific and practical seminars with the participation of leading experts, competitions, handicraft exhibitions and other cultural events were also organized during the festival.

"I am here to speak about how Uzbekistan can export the wines. I want to highlight that Uzbek products are of high quality, but the country lacks a well-established network that would enable producers to access international markets. In the past, Timur the Great established trade routes connecting continents. Today, we need to do the same by utilizing modern opportunities, technologies, social networks and other digital platforms," said Simone Fabbri, a winemaker from Italy.

This year's event attracted around one million visitors, six times that of the previous edition, and also saw the participation of grape and wine producers, sommeliers, businesspeople, representatives of travel agencies and media from more than 30 countries.

Another highlight of this year's edition is that it was held in a vast vineyard in the heart of Parkent, a region known as one of Uzbekistan's top grape-growing locations. The region is unique in that local farmers have developed a distinctive method of conserving rainwater for future irrigation due to the lack of traditional irrigation systems. This innovative approach surprisingly gives the grapes grown there a distinct and exceptional flavor.

According to the Tashkent regional administration, Uzbekistan grows 28 types of grapes, of which 13 are suitable for winemaking. The remaining varieties, both traditional and new, are supplied to domestic and international markets.

If phytosanitary standards are met, the supply of fresh grapes and dried fruits to high-purchasing-power markets, including China, can be increased.

"Currently, grapes from Uzbekistan can be exported to 65 countries worldwide. The majority of exports go to China, Germany, the USA, Turkey, Belarus, Russia, and other Commonwealth of Independent (CIS) countries. It's important to note that each country has its own phytosanitary requirements. For example, this year, a video inspection of vineyards is planned in collaboration with specialists from the General Administration of Customs of China, based on which a special registry is expected be created," said Nuriddin Nasriddinov, an inspector from Uzbekistan's Agency of Plant Protection and Quarantine.

"I have been living and working in Uzbekistan for many years. Recently, Uzbekistan's economy has been developing very rapidly. As a friendly country, we also want to contribute with projects and investments. We are involved in building a free trade zone and constructing a plant. We were invited to participate in this very interesting event, and we are hopeful that the free trade zone will attract companies engaged in exporting agricultural products to China," said Bi Wenchen, a Chinese entrepreneur.

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