DUSHANBE, November 9, 2009 Asia-Plus  – The European Union''s project on supporting the small and medium food processing enterprises in Tajikistan opens a manufacturing plant in Asht district, Shaydon village (Sughd province), according to the Delegation of the European Commission in Tajikistan.

The opening event will take place tomorrow with participation of the representatives of the European Commission and local authorities, other stakeholders.

The plants are equipped with modern equipment, which will help farmers and food producers to improve the quality, packaging and appearance of their products. Eventually, it will contribute to increase of their incomes and standards of living.

Besides food-processing, the manufacturing plants make the resource centers with relevant information on packaging, food security, regulations on the domestic and international markets available to the small food producers and other stakeholders. This way, training and information dissemination will be a key element of the new manufacturing enterprises.

Within the framework of the EU funded project similar manufacturing enterprise will be also opened in Qurghon Teppa (Khatlon province) on lemon processing mid November.

The Project is implemented by Hilfswerk Austria International for the total budget of around EUR 584800 (with the financial contribution of around EUR 500,000 by the European Union).  

The new EU Strategy for Central Asia aims to strengthen ties between the European Union and its Central Asian partners. It has doubled European Commission assistance to the region to €750 million for 2007-2013. Tajikistan gets the main share of bilateral assistance (€66 million for 2007-2010) in support to sector programs, technical assistance and grants. It focuses on social protection, health and private sector development, underpinned by public finance management. Projects aimed at enhancing living standards continue. Tajikistan also receives regional and thematic assistance in areas like border management and drug control (BOMCA/CADAP), education (TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus), water/environment, migration, human rights and democracy (EIDHR), non-State actors (NSA) and SME development (CA-Invest). The total value of EC assistance disbursed to Tajikistan since 1992 is over €500 million.