The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Insurance Development Forum (IDF) members Europa RE and Swiss Re with support from BMZ through the InsuResilience Solutions Fund (ISF), launched new agricultural insurance products today which have been tailored for smallholder horticulture farmers in Uzbekistan in the context of the Tripartite Agreement Programme. The insurance covers six key crops across five regions, with the Government of Uzbekistan, through the Ministry of Agriculture, subsidizing 50% of the premium cost to make the insurance protection more accessible to climate-vulnerable horticulture farmers.

Agriculture plays a crucial role in Uzbekistan’s economy, accounting for 24.3% of the national GDP and employing about 26% of the labor force. Fruit production has seen a 5.1% increase, with the country exporting over 1 million metric tons of fruits in 2024. Roughly 65% of agricultural production comes from dehqan farmers – or smallholder farmers – who occupy 13% of the cultivated land.

To mitigate the escalating impacts of climate changes and unpredictable weather patterns on farmers’ crop yields, the “Agriculture Insurance Scheme for Horticulture Farmers in Uzbekistan” project was launched in 2023. With strong public-private cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, UNDP, Swiss Re, Europa Re, and local insurers Uzagrosugurta and Semurg, the first set of insurance products developed will protect cherry, grape and apricot crops against frost in 5 regions - Tashkent, Samarkand, Ferghana, Andijan and Namangan. The second phase of insurance products will also cover pomegranate, apple and walnut crops.