Dried fruit producers and exporters in Sughd province of Tajikistan took a major step forward with a focused workshop on writing product specifications for formal retail, designed to help the local companies meet the requirements of international buyers.
The workshop is organized through the collaboration of the International Trade Center (ITC) projects in Tajikistan: Trade Promotion East (funded by the Government of Switzerland) and Ready4Trade Central Asia (funded by the European Union).
Press release issued by ITC Tajikistan notes that led by expert Anton Erwee and held in the Tajik northern city of Isfara on July 1, 2025, the workshop guided participants through the commercial and technical steps involved in launching a dried fruit product. Topics included sample presentation, pricing and logistics, certification, moisture and SO₂ limits, shelf life, packaging, and resolving technical disputes.
Participants engaged in practical exercises to draft real product specifications, gaining hands-on experience that boosts their confidence in dealing with international customers and retailers.
As Sughd’s dried fruit companies develop technically, this commercial knowledge is crucial for securing contracts with global retailers and building lasting trade partnerships.
“The training helps bridge the gap between production and market requirements, facilitating smoother product launches and increasing export volumes”, says Mr. Erwee.
The workshop is part of the ITC’s comprehensive effort to strengthen the dried fruit sector’s capacity through targeted training, technical support, and ongoing company assessments.
Follow-up visits to local food testing laboratory and companies will assess technical capabilities and organizational readiness, with findings and recommendations to be compiled in a report aimed at guiding future industry growth.
This workshop is just one example of how ITC is helping local businesses to grow by improving their export knowledge and practical skills. By empowering producers with these skills, the initiative aims to position Tajik dried fruit as a competitive player in international agro-processing markets, contributing to sustainable economic development and improved livelihoods.
ITC’s Trade Promotion East (TPE) is funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the Swiss Confederation. Tajikistan is one of four countries, together with Uzbekistan, Albania, and Serbia, selected to be part of the TPE program. The project will focus on the competitiveness and sustainable export growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the dried fruits sector, as well as improving the capacities of business support organizations (BSOs) to provide quality services to SMEs.
ITC’s Ready4Trade: Fostering Prosperity through the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor project, funded by the European Union, aims to advance the EU-Central Asia connectivity agenda by increasing the operational efficiency of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and supporting the internationalization of Central Asian businesses. This will be achieved by simplifying cross-border formalities, improving regional coordination to boost trade and transport connectivity, and enhancing SME competitiveness to access regional and EU markets. Part of the EU-funded “Prosperity in Central Asia” program, the project builds on the results of the EU-funded Ready4Trade Central Asia (2020-2024).
ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
