Growing a more resilient breadbasket in Central Asia

A successful wheat harvest is often measured in tonnes.

For Uzbekistan, this year's wheat season also reflected the country's progress towards a more sustainable and resilient agrifood system, underscoring the impact of the past decade of reforms focused on strengthening food security, modernizing farming and improving rural prosperity.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture's grain department, average wheat yields reached 9.57 tonnes per hectare, around 1.1–1.5 tonnes higher than last year. Behind that figure lies a combination of improved wheat varieties, better seed preparation, more efficient irrigation and stronger support for farmers. 

Working alongside the Government of Uzbekistan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has supported efforts to modernize crop production through sustainable farming practices, improved seed systems, climate-smart agriculture, integrated pest management, digital innovation and more efficient use of water and land resources. 

The Ministry of Agriculture has also introduced a range of improved crop management practices to boost wheat production. These include no-till farming and foliar application techniques, both of which have proven effective in FAO-implemented projects across Uzbekistan.

"Uzbekistan's 2026 wheat season shows that science, especially genetics, plus epigenetically informed wheat farming can deliver practical results when it reaches farmers' fields," said Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov, the Minister of Agriculture of Uzbekistan. "By renewing wheat varieties, improving seed quality and applying a simple, cost-effective seed-conditioning method, we supported more uniform crop establishment and gained around one additional tonne per hectare without substantially increasing input costs for farmers. Together with the Government's reforms, targeted subsidies, water-saving technologies and our cooperation with FAO, this experience gives us confidence that innovation and partnership can make wheat production more productive, resilient and farmer-centred."

Uzbekistan's experience also illustrates a broader challenge facing Central Asia.

Wheat is the region's most important staple crop and a cornerstone of food security. Together, the five Central Asian countries produce around 23 to 25 million tonnes of wheat each year, benefiting from diverse production systems and strategic access to regional markets. At the same time, agriculture is becoming vulnerable to climate change, water scarcity, land degradation and market volatility. 

Recognizing both the region's strengths and its shared challenges, FAO launched the Central Asia Breadbasket Initiative during the Thirty-fifth Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Europe.

The initiative is built on a simple idea: higher wheat productivity depends on better use of land, water, innovation and regional cooperation. It seeks to strengthen the entire wheat value chain – from improved seed systems and modern agronomic practices to irrigation, storage, logistics, market transparency and investment. 

"Central Asia has all the ingredients to become a stronger and more resilient breadbasket," said Viorel Gutu, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia. "The challenge is no longer simply to produce more wheat, but to connect investments in seeds, water, innovation, markets and regional cooperation so they reinforce one another. That is the vision behind the Breadbasket Initiative." 

The approach reflects an important shift in how agricultural development is viewed. Productivity gains are no longer seen as the result of a single technology or intervention. They come from strengthening the entire system that supports farmers – from research and advisory services to water management, infrastructure and access to markets.

This year's harvest in Uzbekistan offers a practical example of that approach. New high-yielding wheat varieties replaced older cultivars across large production areas. Water-saving technologies, including drip irrigation for wheat, were expanded. Improved seed preparation contributed to stronger crop establishment. Together, these measures demonstrate how incremental improvements across the production system can translate into significant gains in the field. 

FAO is supporting this transition beyond Uzbekistan through regional programmes that promote climate-smart agriculture, enhance cooperation on water and land management, expand access to innovation and mobilize investment for more resilient agrifood systems. The Breadbasket Initiative provides a framework for bringing these efforts together, helping countries exchange experience, align investments and build stronger regional partnerships.

For Uzbekistan, the 2026 wheat harvest is an important national achievement. For Central Asia, it also points to something larger: a future in which stronger harvests are built not through greater pressure on land and water, but through better knowledge, smarter investment and closer cooperation.

Ultimately, that is the ambition of the Breadbasket Initiative – to help the region grow not only more wheat, but more resilient agrifood systems that can support farmers, strengthen food security and withstand the challenges of a changing climate.