29 October 2021, Khatlon region – Early assessment has shown that fruit loss in Lohuti Jamoat averaged 80% per season. UNDP has granted the jamoat with a new fruit drying machine that is expected to improve the quality of agricultural products and minimize fruit loss down to 30%.

The Lohuti community is one of the many beneficiaries supported within UNDP’s initiative to promote innovative gardening through provision of small grants and demand-driven trainings on agribusiness spheres. The “Strengthening Communities in Khatlon Region and Rasht valley in Tajikistan” project, funded by the Government of Russian Federation with total budget 1.9, is designed to contribute to inclusive and sustainable rural development and to stimulate economic empowerment in Khatlon region.

A joint mission of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan, Embassy of the Russian Federation in Tajikistan, and United Nations Development Programme was held on October 29 to  Kulob city and Khovaling district to review the progress of the sub-projects aimed at creating opportunities for employment and other income generating activities that improve the population’s access to affordable services.

As part of the mission, the delegation met with representatives of youth mobile group trained on innovate methods of gardening and visited the Free Economic Zone (FEZ) office facilities in Kulob supported within the framework of the project.

Mobile module blocks for hairdressing, shoe repairing, store for chemicals and minerals, and a food station are installed in Temurmalik, Vose, Kulob and Khovaling districts to create favourable conditions for employment of more than 20 vulnerable people, introduce innovative, cost-effective ways of business set-up.

By the end of this year the project plans to create three cold storage facilities in Kulob, Vose and Tojikobod districts attract Russian expert to introduce local farmers with innovative farming tools, develop four mobile applications to ease the access of rural population to services, and support local economic and income generation projects within the Small Innovation Fund to support local value chains for production, processing, and sale of local green products.

“Strengthening Communities in Khatlon Region and Rasht valley in Tajikistan” project funded by the Russian Federation – UNDP Trust Fund for Development aims to promote livelihoods, employment, self-employment and innovations in farming and agribusiness spheres helping not only to create job opportunities but improve local economy, develop entrepreneurial and innovative mindset among the rural population and contribute to inclusive and sustainable rural development.

For more details please contact:

Rukhshona Nazhmidinova, Communications Analyst, UNDP in Tajikistan. E-mail: rukhshona.nazhmidinova@undp.org Tel: +992 44 6005596, 6005597, 6005600, 6005601