00:26Grapes arrivent near the mountains,
00:28while melons, apples and almonds thrive further south.
00:32Our journey begins among vineyards shaped by the foothills and the changing seasons.
00:38Just outside Tashkent, in Parking District, vineyards stretch across 15 hectares,
00:44forming part of a growing agritourism complex.
00:47Here, agriculture and tourism come together,
00:50giving visitors the chance to explore the vineyards,
00:53learn about local grape cultivation and experience one of Uzbekistan's traditional farming landscapes.
01:00The vineyards were planted on former pasture land almost 20 years ago.
01:06Here, the vines grow on rain-fed slopes,
01:10drawing moisture naturally from winter snow and seasonal rainfall.
01:30The first grapes are picked in mid-August, but the harvest continues well into autumn.
01:37Some are eaten fresh, while others become raisins or are used in local wine production.
01:54Leaving the foothills behind, we travel several hours southwest.
02:00The vineyards give way to broad fields where summer brings another harvest into full swing.
02:09Summer in Zizakh marks one of the busy periods of the agricultural calendar.
02:14As melons and watermelons reach the epic,
02:17farmers across the region begin harvesting crops that have made this area
02:21one of Uzbekistan's best-known fruit-growing regions.
02:26Planting can begin as early as March,
02:28with young crops protected beneath plastic covers.
02:32By summer, the fields are ready for harvest,
02:34and the fruit is carried to markets across the country.
02:48Popeye's, however, finding the best fruit is not only a matter of appearance.
02:52Traditional advice passed down through generations still guides the choice.
03:08Our route continues south, towards a warmer landscape where fruit ripens earlier,
03:14and the harvest season lasts for March of the year.
03:20In Subhandariya, the growing season arrives earlier than in March of Uzbekistan,
03:25making the region one of the country's first to harvest fresh fruit each year.
03:29This is the orchard of farmer Yusuf, who manages 10 hectares of land.
03:33By growing apples, plums, and peaches, and other seasonal crops side by side,
03:38he makes the most of every part of his orchard,
03:40while extending the harvest across the season.
03:46Yusuf's orchards were established in 2011,
03:50for apple varieties now ripen in succession between June and October.
04:07The journey through the region continues beyond the apple trees.
04:11Roots of almond orchards stretch across the dry landscape,
04:15where every drop of water matters.
04:27In Uzbekistan, the harvest is never the same from one region to the next.
04:32Grapes dull their sweetness from the mountain rain.
04:35Melons ripen beneath the summer sun,
04:38and southern orchards begin giving fruit while much of the country is still waiting.
04:43Following the harvest means discovering the country at nature's own pace.
