Organized by the Enhanced Competitiveness of Tajik Agribusiness Program (ECTAP), the Fourth Agribusiness Investment Forum took place in Dushanbe on December 5.

Under the heading “Seizing Opportunities in the Tajik Beef and Dairy Sector”, the Forum aimed at promoting local and foreign investment in the beef and dairy industry in Tajikistan.

The meeting participants included representatives of the Tajik ministries of agriculture, industry, and economic development and trade, as well as representative of domestic companies and farms dealing with the beef and dairy industry and international organizations active in Tajikistan. 

Given the strong economic growth in Tajikistan, beef and dairy consumption is expected to increase in the next years.  For that reason, local dairy companies are seeking to strengthen their productive capacities both by upgrading of their processing equipment and by strengthening their procurement base. In this context, the Forum offers a platform for local stakeholders in the beef-and-dairy value-chain (farmers, agro processors such as dairy companies or meat factories, input suppliers as well as food quality laboratories) to connect with key foreign partners and to facilitate the modernization of the beef and dairy sector in an efficient, quick and socially-inclusive manner.

Overall, the Forum contributed to ECTAP’s main objective to promote economic growth and reduce poverty in Tajikistan.

The European Union has established the Enhanced Competitiveness of Tajik Agribusiness Program (ECTAP) to enhance the development of Tajik agri-food value chains, the competitiveness of agri-food enterprises and the quality of marketing of their products.