The European Union

ENHANCEMENT OF LIVING STANDARDS PROGRAMME

ПРОГРАММА "ПОВЫШЕНИЕ УРОВНЯ ЖИЗНИ"

UNDP
Benefiting from International Experience PDF Печать E-mail
24.12.2008
The EU-UNDP Enhancement of Living Standards in Fergana region (ELS) project is organizing a study tour to France for the period 5-25 July 2007.
altThe study tour supports the capacity of two new farmers’ enterprises, which have been established with the assistance of the ELS project, to become more competitive on the agricultural local market and provide services to local farmers.
The study tour provides an opportunity to bring together local Uzbek farmers with experienced farmers who self-manage similar enterprises in France. In addition, it will show Uzbek farmers the benefit that may accrue from associating with other farmers to maximize profits from post-harvest crop handling, processing and storing. The Uzbek farmers will also have a possibility to observe and test the kind of equipment they intend to purchase through credits from the credit line provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The study tour facilitates a “farmer to farmers” type of exchange that has proved to be effective especially if compared with more traditional types of training that can transfer technical knowledge and know-how, but cannot substitute to a direct contact among farmers and do not allow direct comparison of farmers’ initiatives and achievements. The area chosen for the study tour in the Eastern Pyrenees of France shows similarities with the agro-ecological conditions in Uzbekistan and the farms size are similar to the ones owned by the members of the newly created enterprises.

altThe study tour will be instrumental in ensuring that the members of the two farmers enterprises supported by the ELS project acquire a better understanding of the role that western style farmers’ cooperatives can play in ensuring that a greater share of total profits generated in the agricultural supply chains accrue directly to the farmers. Based on the lessons learned from the study tour, it will also be possible to fine-tune complementary training in Uzbekistan that responds to the needs of the farmers.

The study tour will also serve as an opportunity for the ELS project team to learn more how Uzbek farmers and fruit growers can link to external markets and/or address present local market bottlenecks. The knowledge and experience gained during the study tour will be fed in the finalization of the regional development strategy in form of recommendations for policy makers and local authorities to support the land privatization process and agricultural small and medium enterprises.

Following the study tour the farmers will exchange the acquired knowledge and first-hand experience with local counterparts in Fergana region.

 
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