KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Uzbekistan have agreed to strengthen strategic cooperation in the agriculture and agri-food sectors, says the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.
The cooperation would cover aquaculture, sustainable irrigation technology and research and development, it said.
The commitment was reached during a bilateral meeting between Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu (pic) and his Uzbek counterpart Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov in Tashkent during a working visit to Uzbekistan.
They also discussed food security and the use of smart technologies to boost agricultural productivity in both countries during their meeting on Saturday.
“Agri-food trade between Malaysia and Uzbekistan reached RM338.48mil between January and December last year.
“Malaysia’s main exports included coffee, cocoa, tea, spices and processed food products, while imports comprised high-value fruits such as grapes,” the statement said, Bernama reported.
During the meeting, Mohamad expressed Malaysia’s readiness to share expertise and best practices in aquaculture, seafood production and quality control systems, particularly in the shrimp industry.
Malaysia also shared its experience in using biofloc technology, which has successfully increased aquaculture productivity in limited spaces and could support the development of Uzbekistan’s fisheries sector.
Uzbekistan expressed interest in Malaysian expertise, technology and investment to strengthen its fisheries industry, boost domestic food supply and support regional food security.
To advance future agricultural development, both countries agreed to make digital transformation a key focus through cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), digital agriculture and sustainable water management.
