Tajikistan prepares three agricultural investment projects with FAO support

Tajikistan is preparing three investment projects in agriculture with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), focusing on apricot production, seed potatoes and pasture improvement. The projects are being developed under FAO’s Hand-in-Hand initiative , which aims to connect national agricultural priorities with public and private investment, according to an FAO press release marking Tajikistan’s 35th anniversary of independence and its cooperation with the organization. Apricot production is one of the key areas. Under FAO’s One Country One Priority Product initiative, Tajikistan has selected apricots as its priority agricultural product.

FAO is supporting the analysis of the apricot value chain and the development of a strategy covering production, storage, processing and marketing. Another project focuses on developing seed potato production . The initiative aims to improve the quality of planting material, conserve plant genetic resources and expand farmers’ access to quality seeds. The third project concerns pasture improvement , amid growing pressure on Tajikistan’s agricultural sector from water shortages, changing hydrological conditions, extreme weather, and land and pasture degradation. FAO says small agricultural producers also face limited access to financing, modern technologies, advisory services, storage and processing facilities, and markets. FAO Representative in Tajikistan Aghasi Harutyunyan said cooperation between the organization and Tajikistan had…