Uzbekistan has approved a State Program on Improvement of Irrigated Land and Water Resources for 2013-2017.

According to experts, the document will improve the efficiency of work on further improvement of irrigated land, develop a network of drainage and irrigation facilities, rational and careful use of water resources, thereby ensuring the sustainability of agricultural production, improve soil fertility and increase crop yields.

In particular, for 2013-2017 it is planned to construct and reconstruct 3,852 km of collectors, 35 drainage pumping stations, 1,257 km of closed horizontal drainage networks, 907 drainage wells. There over 830 units of land reclamation equipment and machinery leasing will also be purchased. For a comprehensive implementation of these tasks, experts will develop specialized regional programs until the end of May 2013.

One of the main tasks for the near future will be improvement of the legal base for the reclamation of irrigated land, irrigation and water management. For example, a draft regulation on procedure of implementation and funding of drip irrigation and other water-saving technologies from the fund land reclamation will be developed.

Further, experts will prepare a draft governmental resolution to improve mechanism of implementation of drip irrigation and other water-saving irrigation technologies. In addition, it is envisaged to improve the legal framework for research, design, production and acceptance of water management works, maintenance of water facilities, as well as the evaluation of irrigated land, the efficiency of irrigation and reclamation measures on irrigated lands. The Ministry of Finance and Agriculture and Water Resources till the end of May will bring to the Cabinet of Ministers on the mechanism of stimulation in 2013-2014, as an experiment, agricultural producers in the introduction of drip irrigation systems.

To note, starting 1 May 2013 a regulation to enter in the country, in which the leases for the provision of land for production of horticultural, viticulture and melon production, concluded between the executive authorities and the agricultural producers typically must be provided by the investment obligations of the latter to implement the system drip irrigation and other water-saving irrigation technologies.

In general, plans were introduced to drip irrigation in orchards, vineyards to be implemented and when growing vegetables and melons at 25,000 hectares of land. (Source: Uzbekistan today newspaper).

The enterprises of light industry of Uzbekistan produced goods on 2013,9 billion soums In January-March of the current year, dynamic development of the light industry of Uzbekistan is continued by enterprises of which were produced goods to 2013,9 billion soums, or 113,2% to the correspondent period of the last year.

By enterprises of textile industry of the republic, were produced goods to 1769,4 billion soums or 112,2% to the January-march 2012, including cotton enterprises - 1138,0 billion soums or 107,7%.

Comparing to the previous year, the production of mixed fabrics – to 74,4%, cotton fabrics – to 61,6%, knitwear fabrics - to 56,5%, cotton – to 32,2%.

Mastering the production of high competitive goods by enterprises of the republic, assisted to increase of the production of garments (105,3%), carpets and rugs (104,7%).

In the analyzed period by textile industry was provided the export of textile goods to $209.3 million, that is to 22,1% more, than analogical period of 2012, informed the informational agency of State Statistic committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (Source: UzReport information agency).