CIIE helps Uzbek entrepreneurs enter world market

Photo taken on Oct. 12, 2020 shows mung beans waiting to be processed at an agricultural company in Samarkand region, central Uzbekistan. (Photo by Zafar Khalilov/Xinhua)

TASHKENT, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The increasing number of Uzbek products to be displayed in the upcoming Third China International Import Expo (CIIE) is a proof of the rapid growth and expansion of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, said an Uzbek businessman.

Besides, it also shows that Uzbek entrepreneurs regard China as one of the largest markets in the world, as well as a route to reach other markets around the world, said Umid Madaminov, head of an Uzbek agricultural company, Central Pulse.

According to the Export Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade, various types of agricultural products from Uzbekistan will be presented at the "Food and Agricultural Products" exhibition zone of the CIIE, which is to be held in Shanghai on Nov. 5-10.

Among them is Uzbek mung bean presented by Madaminov, who has been working with his Chinese partners for the past two years growing the crop based on Chinese technology in his native Samarkand region in central Uzbekistan.

"I decided to work with Chinese partners because they have a large market in Europe, the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea and other countries and regions of the world," Madaminov said.

Noting that entering the markets of the above-mentioned countries alone would be much difficult, Madaminov said that "with Chinese partners, I can learn their experience, in particular, cleaning, sorting and packaging of the product in accordance with international standards and the requirements of the modern market."

His company has been exporting mung to China, India, the United Arab Emirates and Russia, and this year the company plans to expand its export destinations to Japan and Europe.

For the past three to four years, China has been a major importer of Uzbek agricultural products, and mung bean occupies a strong position in the Chinese market with growing popularity among consumers, he said.

"Therefore, we proposed to our Chinese partners to open a plant for processing leguminous crops in Uzbekistan, namely mung bean," the Uzbek entrepreneur said.

Madaminov believes that cooperation between Uzbek and Chinese agricultural producers in the areas of logistics and transportation will be further expanded.

"Learning and applying China's rich experience in these areas is a key factor for entering the global market. This is what the CIIE is all about," he said.