USAID Central Asia Exposure Features Tajikistan Project in: “Connections that Transform Lives”

The USAID Agribusiness Competitiveness Activity in Tajikistan (ACAT) project’s support for a successful new agro-logistics center that has helped improve and expand market systems, increasing employment opportunities and incomes for agribusinesses in Tajikistan, was featured on USAID Central Asia’s Exposure page, posted on June 7, 2021.

“Connections that Transform Lives” describes how the project teamed up with USAID’s Competitiveness, Trade and Jobs Activity in Central Asia and local partners in Tajikistan to help launch the privately-run center, which is equipped with modern cold storage facilities that can accommodate up to 600 tons of produce. The facility is now being used to sort, grade and package products for distribution and sale in the country’s urban markets, helping regional farmers overcome poor transportation infrastructure and limited cold storage that once prevented their fruits and vegetables from reaching lucrative domestic or foreign markets.

The center’s evolution is connected to ACAT’s work in 2020 facilitating business-to-business meetings between representatives of Dushanbe’s largest supermarket and regional agribusinesses in the project’s implementation area. Those meetings resulted in the center signing agreements with suppliers to begin buying produce for sale to the large supermarket, establishing new market channels for local farmers and distributors.

“Selling carrots to the logistic center was very beneficial to me. The cold storage has become a lifesaver and I am now confidently able to hire people during the harvest season. I made $3,550 profit by selling 150 tons of carrots to the center and used part of my profit to build a new home for my family,” said Muboraksho Davlato.