Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Mr. Motoo Konishi, the World Bank’s newly appointed Regional Director for Central Asia gave an official launch to realization of the US$67.96 million Uzbekistan Rural Enterprise Support Project - Phase 2 (RESP-II). The Project will assist the newly independent farmers to increase the productivity and financial and environmental sustainability of agriculture and the profitability of agribusiness.

About 150 participants of the launch seminar were brought together to the conference hall of the Tashkent Regional Governor’s office. They overviewed main results of RESP-I, learned RESP-II goals and objectives, and got information about Procurement procedures under World Bank funded projects. Having started in Tashkent, the road-show Project launch will soon be held in all 7 regions covered by the Project.

Motoo Konishi says: “Agriculture has always been a major component of the Uzbek economy We believe that the development objectives of the project we are launching today are of crucial importance to the economy of Uzbekistan and will add to overall economic growth and raise rural incomes in the medium-term perspectives. The Project will support the activities within the year of Rural Development and Improvement declared by the government”.

RESP-II follows and builds upon the experience and success of RESP-I which have supported farmers in 5 pilot districts through the privatization and restructuring of farming and associated agribusiness activities. The RESP-II will scale up the support to about 90 districts in seven regions (Andijan, Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Samarkand, Syrdarya, Tashkent, Fergana) so that to increase yields and improve access to agricultural mechanization and to business advisory services. It will also increase the farmers’ access to non government sources of finance.

There are three main components to the project:

• Rural Enterprise Finance
• Irrigation and Drainage
• Rural Training and Advisory Services

By the time the Project is completed the farmers of 90 districts in seven regions of Uzbekistan will have access to project credit lines and training; farmers and Water Users Associations (WUA) will have access to capacity building and training for WUA operations and to a number of demonstration plots for improved agricultural management practices. Investments will be made on on-farm and inter-farm drainage and irrigation infrastructure.

Uzbekistan joined the World Bank in 1992. The World Bank’s mission in the country is to improve people’s livelihoods through being a partner in economic reforms, supporting the modernization of the country’s social sectors and infrastructure, and sharing its knowledge and experience with the government and the people of Uzbekistan.

Total World Bank commitments to Uzbekistan amount to US$ 722 million.