The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan agreed to expand collaboration to support agricultural development in Uzbekistan.
USAID, represented by Mission Director Mikaela Meredith, and the Ministry of Agriculture, represented by Minister Jamshid Khodjaev, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to this effect on August 20, 2021. The objective of the memorandum is to strengthen the cooperation between the agencies in promotion of agricultural development through USAID’s recently launched Agribusiness Development activity.
“We highly appreciate the U.S. Government’s support to the agricultural sector of Uzbekistan, and development of the value chains of agri-food systems,” noted Jamshid Khodjaev, the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan. “We are focused on creating a modern system of public administration in the agricultural sector and a favorable agribusiness environment, and we are currently going through a period of historical transformations in the agricultural sector of Uzbekistan. Our ministry has already begun to actively implement major reforms in accordance with the Strategy for Agri-Food Development of Uzbekistan for 2020-2030. In this context, USAID’s Agribusiness Development activity, valued at $18.9 million, will be an excellent opportunity to strengthen our joint initiatives and expand the achievements of the previous Agriculture Value Chain activity. With great enthusiasm I welcome today's signing of the Memorandum as part of the implementation of this new project, and wish all of us, and especially the project team, successful implementation and sustainable results! " he said.
“For over a decade, USAID has partnered with the government and private sector in Uzbekistan to diversify the agriculture sector toward higher-value commodities,” said Mikaela Meredith, USAID Mission Director in Uzbekistan. “This agreement will give further impetus to our collaborative work in the country and enhance the competitiveness of Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector reaching retailers, domestic and international,” she added.
During the event, USAID announced an additional $1 million to support rural women in Uzbekistan. These funds will be used to improve rural women’s information technology and entrepreneurship skills, empower them to launch business enterprises, and gain formal employment with local businesses.
Launched in July 2020, USAID’s Agribusiness Development activity is a five-year project aimed at supporting private sector-led growth in Uzbekistan’s agriculture sector by introducing new value-added technologies and management practices across the entire value chain for targeted agricultural commodities. These efforts are focused on increasing value-added production within Uzbekistan, engaging women and youth, linking educational institutions with private sector demand, and promoting favorable policies for agriculture. The activity has already started the Agribusiness Development Fund, which will co-finance innovative ideas of private agribusinesses across Uzbekistan.
