Raisins matter to Uzbekistan’s regional economy because they connect grape farming with processing and international trade. Grapes are grown across the country, but production is especially important in regions such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Fergana, and Namangan. Turning some of these grapes into raisins extends their shelf life and makes them easier to store and export over long distances. This creates income not only for farmers, but also for workers involved in drying, sorting, packaging, and transportation. Uzbekistan also sells raisins to several major markets, including China, Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, and the United Arab Emirates. However, the large changes in export quantity and price from year to year show that the sector is still vulnerable to changing demand, harvest conditions, and access to foreign markets.
Export Performance, 2019-2025
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In 2019, Uzbekistan exported more than 73,000 tonnes of raisins worth over $100 million. In 2020, these figures fell to approximately 41,000 tonnes and $55 million, respectively. The sharp decline appears to have been driven partly by the COVID-19 pandemic, which weakened demand and disrupted trade logistics in important markets such as China. However, the available evidence does not establish the pandemic as the only cause. Export volume fell further in 2021 to 25,551 tonnes. Nevertheless, a surge in the average export price, from $1.35 per kilogram in 2020 to $2.38 in 2021, lifted export earnings to nearly $61 million, slightly above the previous year’s total. Export performance recovered in 2022, when Uzbekistan sold approximately 84,000 tonnes of raisins abroad for $84 million. However, the average price dropped to $1.00 per kilogram, its lowest level during the period examined. Export volume declined from 66,009 tonnes in 2023 to 52,963 tonnes in 2024, a decrease of approximately 20%. However, export value increased slightly from $77.5 million to $78.3 million because the average price rose from $1.17 to $1.48 per kilogram. Growth accelerated sharply in 2025, when Uzbekistan exported 113,087 tonnes of raisins worth nearly $144 million. Compared with 2024, volume increased by approximately 114% and export value increased by approximately 84%. Although the average price declined to $1.27 per kilogram, record export volume pushed earnings to their highest level since 2019.
Main destinations, 2019-2024
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Between 2019 and 2024, China, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates were Uzbekistan’s five main raisin markets. Together, they accounted for approximately 64% of export volume and 55% of export earnings during this period. China was the largest destination overall, importing about 75,000 tonnes worth $94.2 million. Turkey ranked second by total export value, with purchases worth $53.6 million. However, the importance of individual markets changed over time. Kazakhstan became the largest destination by volume in 2022 and 2023, but its relatively low average price limited its contribution to export earnings. Turkey followed a different pattern: although it purchased less than Kazakhstan overall, it paid substantially higher prices. In 2024 alone, Turkey overtook China to become Uzbekistan’s largest raisin market by export value.
Where are grapes grown?
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Grape production in Uzbekistan is concentrated in a small number of regions. In 2025, Samarkand harvested approximately 697,000 tonnes, accounting for more than one-third of the country’s total grape output. Bukhara, Fergana, and Namangan followed with about 241,000, 229,000, and 167,000 tonnes, respectively. Together, these four regions produced approximately 1.33 million tonnes, or 67% of Uzbekistan’s total grape harvest. This regional concentration was also visible in previous years. Samarkand consistently remained the country’s leading grape-producing region, while Bukhara, Fergana, and Namangan were among the other major producers. These figures provide useful context for the raisin industry because raisins are made from dried grapes. However, regional grape production should not be interpreted as a ranking of raisin production. Publicly available statistics do not show how much of each region’s harvest was sold fresh, processed into raisins, or used for other purposes.
Vineyard area, production, and regional yields
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Uzbekistan’s total vineyard area expanded steadily from 120,176 hectares in 2019 to 139,720 hectares in 2024, an increase of approximately 16%. Over the same period, grape production rose from 1.60 million to 1.83 million tonnes, representing growth of about 14%. However, output did not increase consistently. It remained nearly unchanged in 2020, grew in 2021 and 2022, declined slightly to 1.74 million tonnes in 2023, and then recovered strongly in 2024. National grape yield also fluctuated during this period. It fell from 13.34 tonnes per hectare in 2019 to a period low of 12.54 tonnes in 2020. It stood at approximately 12.56 tonnes per hectare in 2023 before recovering to 13.07 tonnes in 2024. Because vineyard area grew slightly faster than production, the average yield ended the period below its 2019 level. Regional figures reveal considerable differences in productivity. In 2024, Bukhara recorded approximately 23.4 tonnes per hectare, followed by Namangan, Fergana, and Andijan at around 21 tonnes per hectare. By contrast, Samarkand, despite producing more grapes than any other region, recorded approximately 13.5 tonnes per hectare, close to the national average. Its leading position therefore resulted mainly from its exceptionally large vineyard area of more than 49,000 hectares rather than from the country’s highest yield. At the lower end, Tashkent region and Jizzakh produced approximately 5.3 and 4.2 tonnes per hectare, respectively. These differences may reflect variation in grape varieties, climate, irrigation, vineyard age, farming practices, and the statistical coverage of cultivated land. The available data do not establish which of these factors caused the differences. Moreover, all these figures concern grapes generally and do not show how much of each region’s harvest was processed into raisins. Further research is needed to determine how differences in drying, sorting, storage, and packaging affect the quality and export price of Uzbek raisins.
Conclusion
Uzbekistan’s raisin exports fluctuated considerably between 2019 and 2025. The country experienced a sharp decline during the pandemic, a brief recovery in 2022, and lower export volumes in 2023 and 2024, although export value remained broadly stable in 2024. This pattern changed dramatically in 2025, when export earnings reached nearly $144 million. However, the increase was driven by record export volume rather than higher prices, and one exceptional year does not yet establish a lasting upward trend. The data also reveal a changing mix of destination markets, while Uzbekistan’s expanding vineyards provide a substantial production base for the industry. Nevertheless, national grape statistics do not show how much fruit is processed into raisins, and destination-level export data for 2025 are not yet available. Further evidence is therefore needed to identify which markets drove the 2025 surge and whether Uzbekistan can sustain this level of raisin exports in the coming years.
Sources
1. [UN Comtrade: Uzbekistan’s exports of dried grapes (HS 080620), 2019–2024](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vrN74x-3vHaUQw5TaEY73BTdLIyX31Dca-pVIMmbx6s/edit?gid=110924078#gid=110924078)
2. [National Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan: Raisin exports in 2025](https://stat.uz/en/?Itemid=1000000000000&catid=617&format=&id=4284&option=com_dropfiles&preview=1&task=frontfile.download)