Now Farmers in the Fergana Valley Have Access to More Precise Agrometeorological Data

UNDP with the financial support from the Government of Japan has installed 20 small agrometeorological stations in the Fergana Valley. The access to agrometeorological data will enable farmers to implement climate-informed planning, reduce farming costs, and improve product quality.

March 13, 2023
Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

Agricultural development is a powerful tool for improving food security both nationally and globally, and feed a projected 9.7 billion people by 2050. Climate change has a significant impact on agriculture, for example, farmers are unprepared for temperature fluctuations and this leads to major crop losses. The installation of agrometeorological stations provides an opportunity to reduce the negative impact of climate change on agriculture, farmers’ financial well-being, and the country’s economy in general.

“Our experts carefully selected locations for agrometeorological stations so that the service radius of multiple weather stations does not overlap, allowing us to cover the largest possible area of the Fergana Valley. Today, agrometeorological stations serve as a tool for obtaining agrometeorological data horticultural producers.” said Sardor Kodirov, manager of the project “Climate resilient livelihoods of horticultural producers in Fergana Valley in Uzbekistan”.

Farmers in the Fergana Valley who want to receive agrometeorological data on a regular basis can contact the Office of the Hydrometeorological Observation Network’s Department of Agrometeorological Observation and Forecasting at +99878 150 85 40.

UNDP will continue to work on agriculture adaptation to ongoing climate change by installing appropriate equipment for Uzbekistan’s meteorological services and improving farmers’ skills to carry out both seasonal agro technical work and the actions required to protect crops in case of sudden weather changes.

The “Climate resilient livelihoods of horticultural producers in Fergana valley in Uzbekistan” project is a joint initiative of UNDP and Uzhydromet funded by the Government of Japan. The project aims to meet the needs of agricultural communities in the Ferghana Valley by modernizing of agrometeorological observation networks and early warnings system, shaping agrometeorological services for horticultural producers and implementing climate-informed planning.