On March 14, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the Saykhunabad district of Syrdarya region. Here, a video conference was convened to discuss strategies for maximizing household income through the effective utilization of private lands and resources.

The conference was attended by leaders from the Republic of Karakalpakstan and regions, hokims of 208 districts and cities, their deputies, representatives of banks, and mahallas. The Head of our state emphasized the aspiration of people for a better standard of living, highlighting the importance of providing financial support and creating sustainable income sources.

“We are allocating large amounts of money to entrepreneurship, employment, and poverty alleviation. Why have we established the 'Mahalla of Seven'? Why have we implemented a system to combat poverty directly in every household? We aim to educate individuals on generating 1-2 million UZS of income per square meter through agricultural practices, home-based production, and expanding street services," stated the Head of our state.

However, the results in Saykhunabad do not align with our objectives. The agricultural, construction, and investment systems in the district are not performing effectively, and entrepreneurship is not experiencing growth.

Henceforth, the First Deputy Hokim of Syrdarya region, the Hokim of Saykhunabad district, and several other leaders were relieved of their posts.

The meeting highlighted the region's challenges and untapped opportunities, using Saykhunabad district as a case in point.

Specifically, the government allocates significant resources to banks. Last year, Saykhunabad received 120 billion UZS to bolster entrepreneurship in mahallas. Additionally, district entrepreneurs benefited from 85 billion UZS in tax incentives last year.

However, the outcomes fail to match the level of effort invested. The number of formal jobs created in the private sector only increased by 968. In 2023, the district saw the emergence of 167 new entrepreneurs, half of whom had not started working.

Banks are channeling resources primarily to their existing clientele primarily focusing on returns. Meanwhile, ordinary people who want to become entrepreneurs and create jobs in the mahalla are left behind. They lack access to prepackaged projects aimed at alleviating poverty.

Last year, the industrial sector in Saykhunabad experienced minimal growth. In 16 out of 19 mahallas, no industries created high-added value. Sixteen buildings and structures with pre-existing infrastructure remain unused. There is a lack of initiatives to process raw materials, provide training for local production, or foster cooperation.

The district's most significant reserve and opportunity lies in its land resources. Saykhunabad is among the 26 districts with population plots exceeding 20 acres. While the primary crops cultivated on farms are corn and alfalfa.  The district faces limitations in cultivating a diverse range of fruits and vegetables for income generation and export purposes.

The Syrdarya River traverses the territory of Saykhunabad, providing easy access to water, which has led to the perception that water is abundant and free. However, only 22 percent of lands have adopted water-saving technologies, and rice farms in the area lack laser leveling. Additionally, as a consequence of the incomplete implementation of the canal concreting plan, only minimal water reaches 5,000 hectares of land across nine mahallas.

The meeting addressed measures to tackle these challenges and mitigate unemployment rates.

The first step involves increasing the income of the population through personal plots and the development of small industries and services in 17,000 households in Saykhunabad. To achieve this, those in charge, along with the hokim's assistants, will distribute 19 mahallas and 794 streets among themselves, subsequently, will develop a feasibility study for each of them based on the “driver” areas.

For the first time, an experiment was conducted in Saykhunabad: each of the 19 mahallas was provided with one mini-tractor and four motor cultivators.  The hokim's assistants will develop business plans for the population, focusing on achieving a minimum income of 1-2 million UZS per hundred square meters.  Collaborating with mahalla agronomists, they will offer plowing and crop planting services to residents on their plots. This pioneering initiative will serve as a model to be replicated nationwide.

A critical concern is the establishment of a procurement system for grown products. 
To facilitate this objective, an export support enterprise will be established in the district, with an initial charter capital of 1 billion UZS. This entity will supply seeds of high-yielding crops such as pumpkin, mung beans, rosemary, broccoli, and thyme to 4,000 households. Additionally, it will purchase the harvested products and facilitate their exportation.

In addition, grants of 300 million to 1 billion UZS will be allocated to mahalla exporters and progressive entrepreneurs.

In each of the 19 mahallas, ten exemplary intensive gardens will be established. They will cooperate with exporters, and complexes for storage, sorting, and processing with a capacity of 2,000 tons will be organized. Each exemplary farm will then share this knowledge with its neighboring farms. To facilitate this, a tripartite agreement will be reached between the hokim, the garden owner, and the bank.

Additionally, there is potential for cultivating poplar trees to supply furniture companies. Hence, 100 hectares of unused land adjacent to 98 kilometers of canals and drainage networks in the district will be allocated to 500 households.

In Saykhunabad, the current industrial poultry rearing capacity amounts to only 60 thousand birds annually, which is significantly low. To address this, four large-scale poultry farms will be established, enabling collaboration with 2 thousand smaller farms. Consequently, these farms will have the capacity to raise 10 million birds per year, resulting in an additional production of 22 thousand tons of poultry meat.

Moreover, artificial reservoirs will be constructed for fish farming in mahallas along the Syrdarya River, alongside the installation of beehives for beekeeping. The resultant honey production will be distributed for export purposes.

Families desiring to expand their livestock holdings will be granted 400 hectares of land for fodder crop cultivation. As part of the family entrepreneurship program, an unsecured cash loan of 33 million UZS will be extended for the acquisition of cattle, sheep, and goats. This initiative will facilitate the expansion of livestock numbers across 1,500 farms. Additionally, milk collection centers will be established in these mahallas.

The necessity for support in establishing small-scale home production was underscored. To this end, 60 billion UZS will be allocated to the district to enhance business infrastructure. Projects will be executed utilizing 21 vacant buildings with investor participation. Furthermore, a small industrial zone will be established in the mahalla "Farovon", covering 35 hectares, where industrial projects worth at least $100 million will begin.

The Head of State highlighted that last year, not a single multi-story building was built in Saykhunabad and gave instructions on this issue.

In general, as emphasized, the aim is for this system to encompass every mahalla, every street, and every household in Saykhunabad. Officials have been instructed to implement this new system in all 9,452 mahallas across the republic.

“This year will mark a vital awakening and economic upturn. Achieving this requires local officials to work selflessly and lead others”, - said Shavkat Mirziyoev. 

During the meeting, reports and proposals from hokims, sector leaders, representatives of the economic complex, and chairpersons of mahallas were presented and discussed.