Iran, Uzbekistan to Boost Farm Investment, Technology Ties

Uzbekistan and Iran on Monday agreed to foster agricultural cooperation after trade in farm products soared 46% in 2025. Iranian Agriculture Minister Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh said Iranian companies were ready to invest in Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector during talks with Uzbek counterpart Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, IRIBNEWS reported. According to Nouri, agricultural mechanization, machinery manufacturing, livestock breeding, fisheries and veterinary medicines are potential areas for cooperation. He said Iran could offer expertise in poultry and egg production, improved cattle embryos, smart irrigation systems and agricultural drones, adding that Tehran wanted to share its experience and new technologies with Uzbekistan. Nouri also called for completing animal and plant quarantine protocols to facilitate trade. “Iran seeks to increase both agricultural exports to and imports from Uzbekistan,” he said.

Abdurakhmonov said Uzbekistan was prioritizing next-generation agricultural equipment, modern technologies and artificial intelligence to improve farm productivity. “Joint fisheries projects, including the production of red and black caviar with Iranian companies, are under way,” he said, adding that Uzbekistan wanted to streamline health and veterinary approvals to speed up their implementation.

Abdurakhmonov noted that Uzbekistan was reducing the area under cotton cultivation and moving toward developing 400,000 hectares of orchards. “The shift could create more opportunities for Iranian products and technologies in the Uzbek market,” he said. The Uzbek minister added that Tashkent also wanted to work with Iran on seed and sapling production, orchard management and potato cultivation technology. Agricultural trade between the two countries reached around US$140 million in 2025. Iran exported US$80 million worth of agricultural products to Uzbekistan and imported US$60 million. An Iranian business delegation led by Hosein Pir-Moazen, deputy head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), has travelled to Tashkent. The delegation will attend an Iran-Uzbekistan economic and agricultural forum and hold business meetings with companies from both countries. The two countries’ chambers of commerce are also expected to sign a cooperation memorandum, while Iranian and Uzbek companies will discuss new contracts and memorandums of understanding. - Iran Daily