Bokhtar City, Tajikistan, May 25, 2022 – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) sponsored the Bactria Food 2022 export forum in Bokhtar City, bringing together more than 200 participants from the region and beyond. Co-hosted by the Khatlon region government and the Export Development Agency of Tajikistan, the event promotes regional trade and connectivity across Central Asia and the broader region.
This year, Khatlon region’s horticulture producers and exporters established contacts with buyers from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries, to facilitate exports of Tajik agricultural products. Participants visited orchards equipped with innovative solutions to improve agricultural outputs. A Business-to-Government (B2G) ‘Discussion Platform’ brought together stakeholders from public and private sectors who exchanged ideas about overcoming the impediments to agriculture produce exports.
Speaking at the trade forum, USAID/Tajikistan’s Deputy Mission Director, James Parys, noted that, “For more than a decade, USAID has supported Tajikistan’s agricultural sector growth. We believe that improvements in regional trade will expand economic development, strengthen cross-border linkages, and ultimately lead to greater stability in the region.”
USAID has been supporting annual trade forums in Khatlon since 2018, all facilitating new business for farmers. At last year’s Bactria Food 2021 forum, Tajik horticulture producers signed more than three million dollars in contracts for exports of dried fruits, grapes, and onions to buyers in Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Pakistan, Turkey and Russia.
Agriculture constitutes the largest sector of Tajikistan’s economy, contributing 22.6 percent of the national GDP and employing 45.7 percent of the Tajik labor force. To support agribusinesses, USAID provides demand-driven assistance to agricultural associations, cooperatives, market integrators, and small and medium enterprises, helping them take advantage of domestic, regional, and international market opportunities.
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USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. For more information, visit the USAID Central Asia website: https://www.usaid.gov/central-asia-regional and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/USAIDCentralAsia.
