Uzbek Dried Fruit Producers Gain First-Hand Insights from California Study Tour

California, USA, June 2026 – With the support and coordination of the Association of Exporters of Fruit and Vegetable Products of Uzbekistan (UZPEX), a delegation of Uzbek small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) specializing in dried fruits visited leading agribusiness companies in California from 19 to 20 June 2026. The study tour was organized within the framework of the International Trade Centre's (ITC) Trade Promotion East (TPE) Project, funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). As the national industry partner, UZPEX facilitated the participation of Uzbek exporters in the mission, which provided participants with valuable practical knowledge of advanced processing technologies, quality management systems, and international marketing practices in one of the world's most competitive dried fruit industries.

The California visit followed a successful market exploration mission to Mexico on 15–16 June, supported by UZPEX within the framework of the same initiative, where Uzbek companies met with Mexican importers and identified promising export opportunities for raisins, prunes, and dried apricots. Together, the two-country mission enabled participants to better understand market opportunities across North America while gaining practical insights into both commercial and technical aspects of the dried fruit value chain.

During the two-day programme, the UZPEX-supported delegation visited Ashlock Company in Sacramento, California Sun LLC in Yuba City, and National Raisin Company in Fowler. The visits provided a unique opportunity for Uzbek exporters to observe the entire value chain—from raw material reception and processing to packaging, storage, quality assurance, and export logistics.

At Ashlock Company, participants learned about state-of-the-art prune pitting technologies designed to improve processing efficiency, product quality, and production capacity. Ashlock is a leading U.S. manufacturer of specialized fruit processing equipment with decades of experience serving the global dried fruit industry. Company representatives demonstrated the latest innovations in prune pitting machinery, explained equipment performance and maintenance requirements, and shared practical experience in helping processors increase productivity while minimizing product losses and ensuring consistently high-quality output.

A key highlight of the visit was a practical demonstration for the Uzbek company Trust Agro, which is planning to invest in Ashlock's prune pitting equipment as part of its strategy to expand value-added dried fruit processing. To evaluate the equipment under real production conditions, Trust Agro brought prune samples from Uzbekistan for testing. The samples were successfully processed on Ashlock's pitting line, producing highly satisfactory results and confirming that the equipment is well suited for processing Uzbek prunes. This successful trial represents an important step toward strengthening technological cooperation between the two companies and supporting the modernization of Uzbekistan's prune processing industry. The visit also reflects UZPEX's ongoing commitment to facilitating technology transfer and supporting the modernization of Uzbekistan's dried fruit sector through international cooperation.

The delegation also visited California Sun LLC, one of California's leading processors of dried fruits and nuts. Participants explored highly automated sorting, grading, and packaging lines and learned how continuous investment in technology, product innovation, and attractive packaging enables companies to maintain a competitive advantage in international markets. Discussions also covered sustainable production practices, efficient water management, grower relationships, and strategies for developing value-added products tailored to changing consumer preferences. By facilitating such study visits, UZPEX continues to strengthen the knowledge and international competitiveness of Uzbek exporters, helping them adopt global best practices and respond more effectively to evolving market demands.