During the first week of May, the Enhancement of Living Standards project in Karakalpakstan hosted members from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to exchange experience and visit communities that have benefited from community water projects and farmers’ cooperatives established with the assistance of ELS in 2006.

The ELS has helped small agricultural farmers in Karakalpakstan to achieve economies of scale by supporting new business schemes that produce and market locally beneficial insects for pest control and plant protection and also food processing. Directors of farmers’ cooperatives and community leaders shared first-hand experience of working with the ELS project.

‘The ELS has helped me to become more skillful and confident in running our cooperative’ - said Adil Koilibaev, Director and one of the founders of the Biological Pest Control Farmer cooperative in Kegeily district. He proudly mentioned that as of today the cooperative provides insects to more that 45 farmers of Kegeily district and covers 1500 hectare of land for cotton and wheat.

Representatives from JICA learned from the cooperative member how they run their businesses and the benefits brought about thanks to the ELS. Karamadin Purkhanov, Director and one of the founders of the food processing cooperative said that as of today the cooperative supplies the local market, the district hospital and a few kindergartens with flour, rice, macaroni, and bread.

The meetings concluded with a discussion for cooperation with JICA. Representatives of local communities and farmers expressed their interest and willingness for joint efforts with other donors as this brings new prospects for them, for their communities and for Karakalpakstan.

The ELS project in Karakalpakstan was funded by the EC and implemented by UNDP during 2005-2006. After its end, UNDP continued to support selected initiatives. The farmers’ enterprises are one of them. In 2007, UNDP was successful to mobilize resources under its Area Based Development Programme for the period 2008-2010.