DUSHANBE, February 21, Asia-Plus — Mitigation of effects of disasters in the agrarian sector was focus of a meeting of Minister for Agriculture and Environmental Protection Qosim Qosimov with Mr. Bernard Schelhas, Country Coordinator, FAO CO Tajikistan, that was held in Dushanbe on February 20, Asia-Plus has learned at press service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection (MoAEP).
In the course of the talks, the two considered issues related to mitigating and removing effects of extreme weather in the agrarian sector as well as FAO’s providing assistance in removing those effects.
The minister, in particular, noted that unusually cold weather has inflicted serious damage to areas under potato and vegetable crops, gardens and vineyards.
Mr. Schelhas, for his part, noted that FAO was ready to provide assistance to Tajikistan’s agrarian sector, particularly with stocking forage for livestock.
The FOA country coordinator reminded that $13 million worth of projects were still ongoing in Tajikistan and FAO was ready to implement another projects for a total amount of $4 million in Tajikistan in the near future.
According to a MoAEP, the agrarian sector has suffered an estimated 695.698 million somonis (equivalent to some $200 million) in economic damage from cold weather that hit Tajikistan in January-February this year.
Tajikistan became a member of FAO in October 1995, and the organization began work here in 1996, initially on emergency locust control projects. The FAO program has been steadily built up since then. Around $10 million has already been spent on completed projects, such as the establishment of veterinary field units, agricultural infrastructure improvements, and the strengthening of domestic seed production. Another $13 million worth of projects are still ongoing.
Current projects include: pasture rehabilitation; monitoring food security; animal health; avian influenza; land reform (with UNIFEM); disease control; and watershed management.
