BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 21
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
Uzbekistan will develop a National Aquaculture Development Strategy on the basis of international best practices and with the participation of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) experts, Trend reports referring to uzdaily.uz.
According to the information, the FAO Technical Cooperation Program on “National Overview and Strategy for the Aquaculture Sector and Fisheries Value Chain” is being implemented in Uzbekistan from 2019 to 2021. The goal of the project is to analyze the aquaculture sector along the entire value chain of fish products from producer to consumer in order to identify existing problems, as well as to identify opportunities for sustainable and efficient production, processing, and sale of fish products.
A National Aquaculture Development Strategy will be developed within the framework of the project, based on international best practices and with the participation of FAO experts. The project is expected to improve the efficiency of the aquaculture sector, which in turn will help improve the living standards of farmers involved in this area, as well as provide the population of Uzbekistan with access to healthier and nutritious food.
“Increased fish production will provide additional income for farmers and contribute to the fight against rural poverty. And the diversification of agricultural activities will improve food security,” FAO project coordinator in Uzbekistan Sherzod Umarov said at the validation webinar organized as part of the FAO Technical Cooperation Program “National Overview and Strategy for the Aquaculture Sector and Fisheries Value Chain”.
FAO's international consultant on strategic aquaculture planning, Simon Diffie, presented a Situation Analysis of Aquaculture in Uzbekistan during the webinar. The presentation included an analysis of the existing constraints on the development of the aquaculture sector, as well as conclusions and conclusions. It was noted that Uzbekaliksanoat Association is the main organization representing a wide range of representatives of the fishing and fish farming sectors of Uzbekistan.
“Fish consumption in Uzbekistan currently amounts to 3-3.5 kilograms g per capita per year, which is below the recommended level of 10-11 kilograms. Financial support from the state has had a positive impact on the development of the sector, as a result of which production capacity has steadily increased in recent years. However, despite the successes achieved, many remains to be done to improve the efficiency of production, processing, and marketing of fish products,” Diffie said.
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