Uzbekistan Light industry
Great importance is paid to the light and textile industries in the formation and development of industrial complex of Uzbekistan. In the specific conditions of the republic as the region of great farming, the multi-branch light industry was formed. It includes in itself the production of cotton fiber, cotton and silk fabrics, raw silk, ambary fiber, hosieries and socks, knitted garments, sewn, garment, footwear, etc. Manufacture of carpets and rugs, chinaware is referred to the branch of light industry. Tashkent, Samarkand and Kuvasay porcelain factories of Uzbekistan are widely known. Their produce, beautiful and peculiar by beauty, may completely compete at the world market; they were exhibited in many states, and were presented with golden medals, diplomas and many other awards. The biggest enterprises, manufacturing cotton textile, are Tash¬kent and Ferghana textile mills and Bukhara Cotton Fabrics Works. The main centers of raw silk growing and silk fabrics manufacture are located in Ferghana, Namanghan and Bukhara provinces. Carpets and non-woven materials are produced in Namanghan province, hosiery in Kokand. Almost everywhere in the republic there are sewing factories, the city of Khiva is famous by manufacture of carpets.
Cotton ginning industry occupies dominating position in the light industry. The enterprises of that branch are organized mainly in the direct neighborhood to cotton planting districts, but there are not enough of them in the newly developed ones.
Leather industry develops in Tashkent, Samarkand, Kokand, Ferghana; various footwear are being produced in many other towns of the republic.
The growth in light industry exceeded the level of the first six months of 2007 and accounted for 12.4%. In the first six months of 2008, the cotton ginning industry that makes 68% of total output of light industry increased its output of cotton fiber by 61.4 thousand tons (or 9,4% compared to 2207). At the same time, due to falling behind the schedule of technical upgrade (on 8 projects) the production of such output as the following fell: knitted goods (89.8%), carpets and carpet products 99.8%), raw silk threads (86.1%). As a result, although the share of finished goods of textile industry grew compared with the corresponding period of 2007, it, however, remains low and accounts for slightly more than 30%.
