To directly contribute to improving the competitiveness of agricultural products in the region, a practical training on commercial quality standards and quality systems of fresh fruit and vegetable products took place in Tashkent on July 26-30.  

According to the European Union Delegation to Tajikistan, the objective of the practical training was to strengthen the capacity of experts and consultants from Central Asian countries in the field of commercial quality standards (UNECE commercial quality standards) and implementation of inspection services for export-oriented fruit and vegetable products.

The training was reportedly conducted by Mr. Emre Kiriçioğlu, Trade Inspection Expert at the Ministry of Trade of Turkey.

The CANDY V Project Consortium is planning a series of activities to initiate and pilot quality assurance and pre-export inspection systems in a number of enterprises in the region.  

25 experts and consultants from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan took part in the training.  The practical part of the training was conducted in a selected enterprise near Tashkent.  After the training, the participants committed to conduct information sessions in their organizations and to pilot the system of pre-export inspection in the enterprises of their countries to consolidate and apply the acquired knowledge.

This training was organized at the request of the members of the Central Asian Working Group for Export Promotion of Agricultural Products (CAWG). 

This training was organized by the CANDY V Consortium led by the Austrian internationally active organization Hilfswerk International in the framework of the project, Regional Integration and Capacity Building to Boost Agribusiness MSMEs Competitiveness and Trade Promotion in Central Asia – CANDY V, funded by the European Union program "Central Asia - Invest V" and the Austrian Development Cooperation jointly with the UNDP Regional project “Aid for Trade for Central Asia" funded by the Government of Finland.