Uzbekistan’s relationship with rice is shaped by two realities. It is a major domestic crop, grown across several agricultural regions and central to the country’s food culture. At the same time, rice crosses its borders in both directions. Uzbekistan imports from neighbouring Kazakhstan and more distant suppliers such as India and Pakistan, while also exporting to other Central Asian markets.

The country’s rice imports are not simply a response to a shortage of domestic production. Uzbekistan grows substantial quantities of rice, and imported supplies serve a market with different varieties, price levels and commercial requirements. To understand why Uzbek businesses buy rice from different countries, it is necessary to look at the country’s own producers, consumers, traders and transport networks.

A market with its own production

In April 2026, Uzbekistan’s Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Research Center published an analysis of the domestic rice market. It estimated annual demand at approximately 368,000 tonnes and said domestic production was sufficient to meet that demand. The Centre described the market as largely supplied by local producers, with imports accounting for a relatively small share. It identified Khorezm, Syrdarya, Fergana and Andijan as the country’s main rice-producing regions. [1]

Uzbekistan has a substantial domestic rice industry. A 2025 study by researchers associated with the country’s agricultural research institutions recorded more than 100,000 hectares under rice cultivation in recent years. Average yields rose from 4.21 tonnes per hectare in 2021 to 5.02 in 2024. The study also identified varieties such as Lazurniy and Iskandar among those cultivated in the country. [2]

The range of varieties is wider still. A 2024 study comparing rice varieties grown in Uzbekistan examined Tantana, Iskandar, Tarona, Lazer, Independence, UzRos-713 and Devzira, among others. The researchers compared their grain characteristics and productivity. [3]

For consumers, differences in grain length, texture and cooking behaviour influence which rice is suitable for particular dishes. For traders, they create distinct product categories and price points. Imported rice therefore enters a market where buyers already have access to a range of locally grown varieties.

Read more on Novastan: Smells of plov

Water availability is also shaping where and how rice is grown. In March 2025, Vlast reported that Bakhodir Elmurodov, a rice farmer from Khorezm, had shifted cultivation to Syrdarya, nearly 1,000 kilometres from home, because water shortages and a shallower Amu Darya had made farming in his home region difficult. In Karakalpakstan, the UNDP has been supporting the introduction of upland rice, which could use up to 40 per cent less water than conventional cultivation. The first seed samples of 15 varieties were supplied to the region’s Scientific-Production Association of Grain and Rice in May 2025. [4][5]

Read more on Novastan: From the Pamirs to the Aral Sea: Following the Amu Darya Through Central Asia

Who supplies the imported rice?

World Bank trade data records that Uzbekistan imported 37,544.7 tonnes of rice worth approximately $14.85 million in 2024. Kazakhstan was by far the largest supplier, accounting for 24,330.8 tonnes. Pakistan supplied 5,507.3 tonnes, while India supplied 2,265.7 tonnes. Turkey and China were smaller suppliers. [6]

The figures used here are Uzbekistan’s reported import data. They may differ from the corresponding export figures reported by its trading partners, as the two sides record trade flows separately and mirror statistics do not always match.

Kazakhstan accounted for nearly two-thirds of Uzbekistan’s total rice imports that year. Its geographical advantage is considerable: the two countries share a border and are connected through established road and rail networks. For buyers seeking regular supplies, shorter transport distances can help reduce delivery costs and simplify logistics.

The picture changes when the product category is narrowed to semi-milled or wholly milled rice, classified under HS code 100630. In 2024, Uzbekistan imported 31,142.4 tonnes in this category. Kazakhstan supplied 18,096.7 tonnes, Pakistan 5,464.3 tonnes and India 2,265.7 tonnes. [7]

The distinction between total rice imports and milled rice matters. Paddy rice, husked rice and milled rice are different products, with different processing requirements and commercial uses. Comparing suppliers within the same category gives a more meaningful picture of the trade.

Official Uzbek statistics show that the supplier mix continued to change in 2025. From January to July, Uzbekistan imported 6,500 tonnes of rice worth $2.9 million from 13 countries. Kazakhstan supplied 4,300 tonnes, India 1,100 tonnes, the Kyrgyz Republic 582 tonnes and Pakistan 186 tonnes. [8]

India’s position in this period is worth noting. It supplied more rice than Pakistan, although Kazakhstan remained the leading source. Indian rice has a place in the Uzbek market despite the distance between the two countries.

Why buyers choose different suppliers

Import statistics identify the countries supplying rice, but they do not explain the purchasing decisions of individual companies. Those decisions can depend on the variety required, grain quality, price, availability, processing, packaging and the cost and reliability of delivery.

The difference between suppliers becomes clearer when import values are compared within the same product category. In 2024, the recorded customs value of semi-milled or wholly milled rice from Kazakhstan was approximately $5.12 million for 18,096.7 tonnes. India’s 2,265.7 tonnes were valued at approximately $2.06 million, while Pakistan’s 5,464.3 tonnes were valued at approximately $2.05 million. [7]

These figures translate into approximate customs unit values of:

Kazakhstan: $283 per tonne.

Pakistan: $375 per tonne.

India: $909 per tonne.

These are calculated averages, not retail prices or individual supplier quotations. They can reflect differences in varieties, grades, processing, packaging, freight and insurance. They do not establish that every Indian shipment is more expensive than every shipment from Kazakhstan or Pakistan.

The contrast is nevertheless striking. India’s recorded import value was almost equal to Pakistan’s despite supplying less than half the quantity. This suggests that Indian rice entering Uzbekistan may occupy a different product and price segment. The data does not identify every variety in those shipments, so the difference cannot be attributed to basmati alone.

India is a major exporter of both basmati and non-basmati rice. According to APEDA, the country exported 20.19 million tonnes of rice worth $12.47 billion in the 2024–25 financial year. The All India Rice Exporters Association records approximately 6.07 million tonnes of basmati and 14.13 million tonnes of non-basmati exports in the same period. [9]

A shipment record offers one specific example of Indian rice reaching Uzbekistan. Volza’s trade database lists a consignment of 23 tonnes of Pure Basmati Sella Rice shipped from India to Uzbekistan in August 2024. It was packed in 575 bags of 40 kilograms each. This is an individual shipment, not a measure of the wider market, but it documents the movement of a processed basmati product into Uzbekistan. [10]

For an Uzbek importer, the choice is not necessarily between the cheapest available rice and a more expensive alternative. A buyer supplying a mass-market segment may prioritise volume, consistency and delivery costs. Another may be looking for a particular grain type or quality that can be sold at a higher price. Different suppliers can meet different requirements within the same market.

The businesses behind the trade

Local trading businesses offer a glimpse of how rice moves through Uzbekistan’s commercial networks. Food Grains, a trading company based in Tashkent, describes its work as connecting local agriculture with international markets through sourcing, processing and distribution. The company says food commodities, particularly rice, account for the majority of its turnover. It lists business connections across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Iraq. [11]

The company’s profile presents rice trading as part of a wider regional network. Its stated activities extend beyond importing finished rice to include sourcing, processing and distribution, with links to local farmers and overseas markets.

The importance of local consumer preferences is also reflected in the experience of Uzbek rice entrepreneur Ibrahim Muratov, founder of UzRice. In a January 2020 interview with the Uzbek business publication Spot, Muratov described how the company’s first product was received coolly by consumers because its rice had been polished to a much whiter finish than local buyers were accustomed to. He also found that consumers preferred to inspect the grains before buying, sometimes even tasting them. The company subsequently changed its packaging to make the rice more visible and provide more information. Muratov said that Uzbekistan’s climatic, varietal and consumer characteristics required a specific approach to the market. His experience illustrates why rice producers and suppliers need to understand local preferences, rather than relying on processing standards or packaging developed for other markets. [18]

Commercial shipment data identifies several Uzbek businesses involved in importing milled rice. Orion Markets, which tracks customs shipment records, lists KHONQA RICE, TANDEM INC, CHEMPION GREEN LANDS, NAMEXIM and JLTS among the leading importers recorded under HS code 100630 between October 2025 and September 2026. During the same period, its database recorded 295 import shipments involving 45 companies. Kazakhstan accounted for 61.9 per cent of the recorded import shipments, followed by the Kyrgyz Republic, India, Tajikistan and Turkey. [12]

These figures come from a commercial shipment database rather than an official national statistical release. They should be treated as an indication of recorded trade activity, not a complete account of every rice import into Uzbekistan. They do, however, point to a market involving multiple businesses and supply relationships.

The Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Research Center’s 2026 analysis provides the broader domestic picture. It examined the process from rice cultivation to delivery to the final consumer, and concluded that domestic production was sufficient to meet demand, with imported rice accounting for a relatively small share of the market. [1]

What rice costs in the domestic market

Customs unit values and consumer prices describe different stages of the market. The former represent the declared value of imported goods divided by their quantity. They are not the prices at which consumers buy rice.

According to open data from Uzbekistan’s Statistics Agency, the average price of rice in the country’s farmers’ markets was 15,175 Uzbek soums per kilogram in September 2026. A year earlier, in September 2025, the average had been 17,325 soums per kilogram, a decline of 12.4 per cent. [13]

Prices also varied considerably by region. In September 2026, the reported average was 11,445 soums per kilogram in Karakalpakstan, 12,841 in Syrdarya and 13,518 in Khorezm. In Tashkent city, it was 17,615 soums per kilogram.

A national average does not describe the price in every region. Local production, transport costs, quality and the type of rice being sold all influence what consumers pay. The regional differences also show why a single national figure cannot capture the conditions faced by buyers and sellers across the country.

The fall in the national average between September 2025 and September 2026 points to changing conditions in the domestic market. Importers are operating alongside local producers, and their commercial decisions are affected by the prices and availability of rice already being sold within Uzbekistan.

The transport route from India

Geography is one of Kazakhstan’s strongest advantages. India, by contrast, is separated from Uzbekistan by several borders and has no direct land route for ordinary commercial freight. Transport costs and delivery times consequently form an important part of the final price.

A documented multimodal route connects Indian ports with Uzbekistan. In August 2024, Uzbekistan’s container transport company Uztemiryulcontainer organised shipments from the Indian ports of Mundra, Nhava Sheva and Chennai. The goods travelled by sea to Bandar Abbas in Iran and were then transported by rail to Sergeli station in Uzbekistan. The first freight train carried 20 containers and covered 2,673 kilometres in 20 days. The company said it planned to reduce the delivery time to 15 days. [14]

Another development followed in March 2025, when a container train service was launched from India to Kazakhstan through Uzbekistan. The route covered 4,885 kilometres and involved sea transport from Mundra to Bandar Abbas, followed by rail transport across Iran and Central Asia. The first train carried 12 standard containers. The service involved Uztemiryulcontainer, Kazakhstan’s Kedentransservice and the Transport and Logistics Center of Turkmenistan. [15]

These services provide documented examples of multimodal freight connections between India and Central Asia. They do not establish that every rice consignment uses these routes, or that the recorded basmati shipment travelled along either one. They do show that containerised goods have already moved between India and the region through these corridors.

Uzbekistan’s wider logistics network is also developing. Its official investment portal identifies the North-South Corridor, which connects routes through Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan, including links with India. The Middle Corridor connects Central Asia with the Caspian region, Azerbaijan, Georgia and onward markets. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is under construction, while the Trans-Afghan railway remains a planned project. [16]

For rice traders, the distinction between an operating route and a planned corridor is essential. The India-Bandar Abbas-Uzbekistan connection is a documented transport option. Other projects may create new possibilities, but they should not be treated as existing routes for current shipments.

Uzbekistan is also a rice exporter

Uzbekistan’s role in the regional rice economy is not limited to imports. It also supplies neighbouring countries. According to the National Statistics Committee, the country exported 14,800 tonnes of rice worth $6.4 million to 11 countries between January and November 2025. Kazakhstan received 8,000 tonnes, Tajikistan 3,400 tonnes and the Kyrgyz Republic 2,400 tonnes. The United States was another destination, receiving 824.8 tonnes. [17]

Kazakhstan is therefore both Uzbekistan’s largest rice supplier and its largest export destination. The relationship is not simply one of dependence on imported food. It is part of a regional trading system in which countries can import particular types or volumes of rice while exporting their own production to neighbouring markets.

Indian rice needs to be understood within this wider Central Asian market. India is not competing with Kazakhstan on price or distance alone. It is entering a market where domestic producers are well established, regional trade is active and buyers have access to several suppliers.

For Indian exporters, the opportunity is likely to lie in matching specific products to specific market requirements rather than treating Uzbekistan as a large, undifferentiated destination. The customs data suggests that Indian rice may already serve a different price segment from much of Kazakhstan’s supply. The container routes provide evidence of transport connections, while domestic production and regional price differences underline the importance of understanding local competition.

Uzbekistan’s rice market is not waiting for a foreign supplier to fill an empty space. It has its own farmers, varieties, traders, consumers and regional export connections. Any supplier hoping to build a lasting presence in the country will need to understand how this market works.

By Shirish Khare.

Shirih Khare is an independent writer and journalist from India. He has been writing for the past 25 years, reporting on rural life, social change, migration and communities beyond the country’s major cities.

Edited by Mathieu Lemoine.