Shchelkovo Agrokhim opens new agrochemical plant in Uzbekistan

Shchelkovo Agrokhim has opened a new agrochemical-manufacturing facility near Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the Russian company announced this week.

The firm, which is based in the Moscow region, said the factory will be the largest of its kind in Central Asia – and will be capable of producing 20,000 tonnes of pesticides annually, including fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and growth stimulants.

Shchelkovo Agrokhim added that the plant’s products will chiefly be sold on the Uzbek market, although it noted that some of the agrochemicals will be exported to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

The new facility, which is located on a five-hectare site in the Urgut free economic zone, received more than $30mn in investment from the local government, as well as up to 10 years of tax incentives. Building work began in 2017, but had stalled several times.