This article was published in the newspaper "Pravda Vostoka" on 12.10.2013.

"Growth points" are being created in Uzbekistan for growing pistachios

In today’s rare market, you won’t see a scattering of nuts and dried fruit. They have become a unique business card of our country, a valuable export product. One of them is pistachio. The culture is so beneficial that it is called “green gold” and is beneficial to the ecology of arid regions.

From now on, scientists will help farmers to select high-yielding varieties and carry out the necessary agricultural work. Scientific bases are being created in the republic, where rural workers can buy seedlings and grafting materials. The first collection of pistachios has already appeared in Gallaaral district of Jizzakh region, the second will be located in Andijan region.

Bastamqul Saidkulov, a farmer from Jizzakh, dreamed of growing a roadside garden near his house. I would like people to stop in the shade of the trees, have a cup of tea and talk about how nice it is to have a cool holiday like this. But how to create a garden in the semi-desert? Saidkulov turned to the Global Environment Facility's (PMGEF) Small Grants Program for support and expert advice from scientists. Specialists from the Republican Research and Production Center for Horticulture and Forestry surveyed the area and suggested planting pistachios. The product is not only valuable and demanding, but also requires almost no irrigation and fertile soil. It has been growing and profiting in Uzbekistan for centuries.

Bastamqul Saidkulov together with his fellow villagers planted seeds on more than 40 hectares. In addition to pistachios, wild roses, apricots, apples, walnuts, almonds and Crimean pines are now grown. They will be useful until the “green gold” enters a fertile period. And for the start of young seedlings installed wind-solar generator for irrigation. The generated electricity is powered by a pump that draws water from a well. The installation is sufficient, albeit with low power. The issue of protecting them from frequently grazed livestock in these areas has also been resolved. Roses are planted along the fence. In two or three years, it will become a living cage.

Economists have conducted a cost-benefit analysis of pistachio plantations for the first 18 years. The “green gold” loves the patient - optimal fruiting begins at 20-25 years of age - but it can bear fruit in less than a thousand years!

PMGEF together with scientists and specialists Bastamqul Saidkulov conducted theoretical and practical trainings for farmers and farmers, as a result of which they became interested in pistachio growing in other areas. Arif Umirov from Chirakchi district of Kashkadarya region also came up with the idea. In the village of Arabband, where he was born, there are very few natural plants. So Arif aka decided to organize a pistachio. With the help of his relatives, he built a greenhouse and planted seedlings. In the first year, I planted 1,800 saplings, of which only 700 survived. He expects not only to make a profit, but also to benefit his countrymen. In the future, pistachio plantations will strengthen the slopes and prevent floods.

Today, rural workers are more interested in the efficient use of their land, even in areas where high yields are not easy due to the natural climate. That is why interest in pistachios is growing. The Republican Research and Production Center for Horticulture and Forestry, with the support of PMGEF, has created 12 varieties of native plantations on the basis of a database in Jizzakh region. It is used to prepare welding material for varietal crops. There is also a collection of 30 varieties that farmers can buy and a small industrial plantation of fruit varieties of pistachios. All this allows not only to conduct training on the theoretical issues of pistachios, but also to demonstrate them in practice. It is planned to establish a permanent training center for the creation of pistachio plantations in Jizzakh region. In 2013, the provincial government decided to allocate 1,000 hectares of land for such plantations.

Scientists have come up with the idea of creating the same "growth points" throughout Uzbekistan. Plantations that include collections of high-yielding pistachio varieties and are able to sustainably provide interested farmers also provide consulting services. According to experts, four or five points will be enough to satisfy the growing interest.

The next one after Jizzakh appears in the Fergana Valley. Rustamjon Gulshani, a farmer in the Istiqlol massif, a few kilometers from Andijan.created on farmland. He has 155 hectares of arable land at his disposal. Currently, the locals use it only as pasture. However, scientists have found that the area is a natural habitat for “green gold” growth, as evidenced by the surviving trees and even small paths.

Pistachios are several times more expensive in the world market than walnuts and almonds due to their high taste. There are three to four benefits to every penny invested in this valuable culture. It is no coincidence that the "green gold" began to bear fruit years later. It is as if this "wise" tree is testing faith and perseverance in order to give a person a lifetime of gratitude and a precious fruit.

This material was kindly provided for posting on our website by the correspondent of the newspaper "Pravda Vostoka" - Oksana Vedyaeva and published on the site: http://pv.uz/economics/selyskoe-hozyaystvo/1211