DUSHANBE, June 26, 2015, Asia-Plus – 15 dairy industry processors have attended a workshop to discuss on how to improve and strengthen sustainable dairy industry development in Tajikistan.

According to FAO Tajikistan, the purpose of the workshop was to share the experience on inclusive dairy in the region and beyond.

The Tajik Ministry of Industry and New Technologies reportedly asked FAO Tajikistan last year how to make the dairy sector more competitive  by constructing a proper marketing strategy and implementation plan for the development.

“In recent years, local industry has invested heavily in milk production and collection.  However, the Tajik dairy industry is facing another challenge: strong competition from  imported dairy products gradually entering the Tajik market”, Mr. Viorel Gutu, FAO representative in Tajikistan, said.

The FAO $45,700 project is working  with the ministry and the local private sector. In the framework of the project, an FAO international consultant in close collaboration with the local partners will conduct a SWOT analysis of the needs and problems of the dairy sector and, taking into consideration the peculiarities of the local dairy market, he/she  will propose effective measures for improvement of the efficiency of the dairy industry.

Cooperation between Tajikistan and FAO has been ongoing since the country joined the Organization in 1995.

The main priorities of FAO in Tajikistan are as follows: reduce dependency on food imports through supporting the Government’s Agrarian Reform Program for development of the agriculture sector and poverty alleviation; increased access to agricultural inputs and rehabilitation of agricultural systems; strengthening of institutional/local capacities and networking in the agricultural and rural sector; increase co-ordination among stakeholders for the development of the agriculture sector; and support government reform process in agriculture and facilitate a positive environment for agriculture - related private activities.

All FAO Tajikistan projects are of a complex technical assistance nature. There are no longer emergency projects but designed to assist the transition process the country is facing and all projects are aimed at achieving long-term sustainability.