March 6, 2006

Uzbekistan's 2005 grain harvest rose 8.5 percent on year

Uzbekistan increased its grain harvest by 8.5 percent in 2005 to 6.518 million tonnes, the government's statistics department reported Friday.

The average yield in 2005 increased by 12.1 percent on the year to 4.07 tonnes a hectare.

The wheat harvest amounted to 92.7 percent of the total harvest. Rice and corn both amounted to 2.5 percent of the total.

The wheat harvest totalled 6.047 million tonnes, 9.8 percent more than in 2004, while the rice harvest fell by 14.7 percent to 160,400 tonnes, and the corn harvest increased by 4.1 percent to 162,800 tonnes.

Average wheat yield increased by 11.6 percent to 4.23 tonnes/hectare, the rice yield increased by 16.2 percent to 3.22 tonnes/hectare and the corn yield increased by 6.2 percent to 4.47 tonnes/hectare.

In 2005 grain was planted on 1.615 million hectares, including wheat on 1.439 million hectares. State grain purchases increased by 6.7 percent to 2.303 million tonnes. State wheat purchases increased by 7.2 percent to 2.262 million tonnes.