Tajikistan’s Agriculture Sector to Benefit from World Bank Support
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved $58 million in grant financing from the International Development Association (IDA) for the Strengthening Resilience of the Agriculture Sector Project in Tajikistan. The project will contribute towards a more resilient and sustainable agricultural sector, which is the mainstay of Tajikistan’s economy and livelihoods.

“Planting the seeds for a sustainable, more productive, climate-resilient, and inclusive agricultural sector should allow for a harvest of economic growth, food security, nutritional quality, rural employment, and steadier incomes,” said Jan-Peter Olters, World Bank Country Manager for Tajikistan. “The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to continue modernizing the sector to ensure that farmers and everyone else working in rural economies continue earning income, root causes of seasonal poverty are addressed, and families can rely on access to affordable, nutritious food.”

The project seeks to strengthen the foundation for a more resilient agriculture sector, which will in turn help to accelerate agricultural diversification, contribute to the development of a viable sector of private micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas, and generate additional employment opportunities.

The project will support the development of viable seed, seedling, and planting material systems to ensure the availability, in sufficient quantity and quality, of locally adapted and climate resilient varieties of these inputs for priority crops. Investments in inputs technology are important for improving production and productivity, contributing to food security and nutrition and enhancing efficient use of other inputs, including water, fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides.

The project will further engage with research institutions associated with the Tajikistan Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Tajik Agrarian University to strengthen longer-term capacities in research and development of technologies, with solutions for climate adaptation and sector development.