BUILDING OF DOMESTIC PRODUCTION BASE FOR AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING RANKS AMONG THE KEY AREAS OF THE ECONOMIC BLOCK OF THE ACTIONS STRATEGY, APPROVED BY THE PRESIDENT OF UZBEKISTAN SHAVKAT MIRZIYOYEV. POWERED BY PREFERENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES, THE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN DEVELOPING AT A SEVEN-MILE PACE. UZBEKISTAN TODAY REPORTERS EXPLORED PROSPECTS FOR THE DOMESTIC AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY IN THE COMING YEARS.
Strategic partners
Domestic enterprises have huge plans ahead, and most of them envisage attraction of foreign strategic partners. For example, the Russian company Rostselmash is going to launch the assembly of its equipment at the facilities of the Chirchik Plant of Agricultural Machinery by the end of May.
The first batch of Russian machinery produced in Uzbekistan will consist of 20 self-propelled forage harvesters of three types. The parties have also embarked on elaboration of joint development of assembly of press-pick-ups, which is a very marketable product in Uzbekistan. The production capacity is estimated to be about 200 items per year. The total annual demand of the Uzbek market is estimated at 300-400 items of such equipment.
After the full launch of the project in Chirchik, the plant will produce several hundred Russian agricultural machines a year – about seven models of self-propelled harvesters and self-propelled mowers. The Russian side will gradually increase the level of localization of products manufactured in Uzbekistan.
There is another interesting project. The Belarusian Research, Design and Engineering Institute of Foundry BELRDEIF and Uzagrotekhsanoatholding carry out a project on the foundation of Uzbekistan’s first automated foundry for agricultural machinery.
The Uzbek side has studied several options for implementation of this project. Previously, it was planned that the project would be implemented jointly with the South Korean Hanwoo, but later on the issue was decided in favor of Belarusians who have vast experience and advanced technologies in this field.
Foundry production is ranked among centerpieces that provide enhanced localization, allow reducing the cost of agricultural machinery, and producing products with a large added value. To date, the BELRDEIF has developed technical documentation for this project, which is scheduled for finalization by the end of the current year.
Partnership in foundry production has been underway with Uzbekistan Railways, which launched the Foundry-Mechanical Plant in 2013 of a total cost of $150 million. It is equipped with technological lines by German companies, and is now the region’s unrivaled facility to manufacture foundry products for railway transport.
Uzagrogtekhsanoatholding invited representatives of Italian and Korean companies that are engaged in the production of agricultural machinery, to evaluate quality and technologies of the Foundry Mechanical Plant, aiming to further use its capacities for localization of part of components in Uzbekistan.
Export Prospects
Pakistan is about to launch assembly production of agricultural machinery from Uzbekistan. This may happen in the coming months.
Experts say that Pakistan is highly interested in Uzbek experience and technologies in the field of agriculture. The level of mechanization of cotton planting in this country does not exceed 50%, the rest is sown manually. They are currently working on submission of a decree on the introduction of Uzbek technologies in Pakistan to the government. This project implies separate tax, customs and so on.
Very soon, the Uzbek delegation will again visit the country to elaborate on the organization of assembly production. Within the framework of the visit, the delegates will see the areas for future assembly sites.
The project was preceded by testing of eight samples of Uzbek equipment on the Pakistani fields. Moreover, a delegation from Pakistan visited Uzbekistan to make sure that Uzbekistan has its own production base for agricultural machinery. During the visit, the guests got acquainted with the production, which, as they could see, was carried out on enhanced level of localization.
Innovative Resource
Case New Holland Company intends to launch the production of new methane tractors in Uzbekistan in 2018. The Uzbek side participated in operating this kind of tractors in the field in Italy.
Gas agricultural machinery is not yet widely operated in the republic. It is produced privately, and only 50 pieces of such equipment operate in the republic today. The new plant will allow tractors working on both methane and biogas. There are plans afoot to start switching tractors from 80 to 110 horsepower to gas power.
The further mechanization of cotton harvesting is another important area. To make it feasible, the republic needs up to 10,000 units of cotton harvesting equipment. In such conditions, the country will be able to achieve mechanized cotton harvesting by 100%. Today, the country’s fields are operated by over a thousand cotton harvesters. In 2017, it is scheduled to produce more than 600 units of cotton harvesting equipment, while the production of such equipment promises to grow at times in the years to come.
Author: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper