TASHKENT, February 3. /Dunyo IA/.   Uzbekistan’s Agrobank held a press conference at its headquarters in Tashkent on Monday, bringing together senior bank management, business leaders and representatives of domestic and international media, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The event focused on the theme “Agrobank: Results of 2025 and Strategic Priorities for 2026”, offering a comprehensive overview of the bank’s performance over the past year and outlining its medium-term development agenda amid broader economic reforms in Uzbekistan.

According to the presentation, 2025 marked a year of stable financial growth, institutional transformation and accelerated digitalisation for Agrobank. By the end of the year, the bank’s total assets reached 103.6 trillion Uzbek soums, placing it second among the country’s commercial banks. This represents an increase of 24.2 trillion soums year-on-year, reflecting the implementation of a consistent and long-term growth strategy.

Agrobank’s lending portfolio also expanded significantly. Total loan exposure stood at 81.1 trillion soums, while 42.2 trillion soums in new loans were issued during the year. More than half of this amount – 23.1 trillion soums – was channelled into micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), underlining the bank’s central role in supporting entrepreneurship and private sector development.

The bank’s customer base grew to 7.4 million clients, with more than 1.5 million new customers added in 2025 alone. Total deposits reached 32.5 trillion soums, including 15.9 trillion soums in household savings, enabling Agrobank to rank first nationwide in terms of growth in retail deposits – a key indicator of public trust in the financial system.

Digital banking and faster services

Senior officials highlighted major reforms aimed at improving service quality and operational efficiency. Credit approval processes were streamlined, reducing decision times for small loans from several days to as little as 15 minutes, while mortgage processing times were cut from up to one year to just one day.

Through the bank’s Unified Service System, nearly 30 categories of customer data are now retrieved automatically from state e-government platforms, significantly reducing human intervention. An automated credit conveyor system has further shortened loan approval times for individuals to 10–12 minutes.

For corporate clients, Agrobank has launched the “Agrozamin Business” digital platform, providing remote access to a wide range of banking services. These initiatives form part of the bank’s broader Agile transformation, guided by the principles of the customer-centric banking model and the continuous improvement philosophy known as Kaizen.

Agriculture and green finance at the core

Agricultural finance remains one of Agrobank’s defining pillars. In 2025, the bank financed approximately 80 per cent of the country’s raw cotton production and 95 per cent of grain output. A total of 15 trillion soums in loans were allocated to cotton and wheat cultivation.

Sustainable water management featured prominently among priority areas. Agrobank directed 2.4 trillion soums towards the introduction of water-saving irrigation technologies, while nearly 1 trillion soums was invested in equipping on-farm irrigation pumps with solar power systems. The import of 1,400 tonnes of high-quality cotton seeds from China contributed to raising crop yields to 40–50 centners per hectare.

As part of its social initiatives, the bank implemented the “Agrobooks” programme, publishing and distributing free copies of the “Water Book” – a practical guide on efficient water use for farmers. In addition, seedlings for intensive orchards are being produced through the Agro In Vitro Laboratory, supporting the modernisation of horticulture.

Artificial intelligence and strategic outlook for 2026

In 2025, Agrobank established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Project Office, tasked with developing AI- and big data-based solutions for both banking services and agricultural production.

Looking ahead, the bank plans to issue 56.2 trillion soums in loans in 2026, including 23 trillion soums for MSME projects. Funding for water-efficient technologies and solar energy solutions is expected to reach 2.6 trillion soums. Under the “School of Water Managers” initiative, pilot fields will be established in 141 districts, alongside training programmes for farmers and specialists. The bank also intends to gradually introduce remote crop monitoring using satellite imagery and drones.

Open dialogue with media and business community

The press conference concluded with an extensive question-and-answer session, during which representatives of the media and the business community raised questions on lending policy, digital innovation, agricultural finance and international cooperation. Senior executives and department heads provided detailed responses, reinforcing Agrobank’s commitment to transparency and open engagement.

In conclusion, Agrobank reaffirmed its intention to continue strengthening financial services, supporting entrepreneurship and contributing to the sustainable development of Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector and regional economies.