MINSK, 28 June (BelTA) – Dairy products made in Tajikistan by the Belarus-Tajikistan joint ventures will hit the Tajikistani market in early 2020. The parties have made great progress in implementing joint projects, the agriculture ministers of the two countries told reporters, BelTA has learned.
The joint ventures processing milk products will operate in Dushanbe and Hisor. “I believe that these companies will be up and running in early 2020,” Belarus' Agriculture and Food Minister Anatoly Khotko said.
“Installation and startup works are nearing completion. The first products of these companies will be available on the market at the beginning of next year. At first these products will be meant for the domestic market. Later they will be exported to the neighboring states,” Tajikistan Agriculture Minister Sattori Izzatullo said.
The agriculture ministries of the two countries are actively collaborating in science and selective breeding. A project to assemble farm machines in Tajikistan is running smoothly. A vocational training center in agriculture was set up as part of the project.
In January 2019, an agreement was signed on establishing a joint venture Vatan Dairy Company in Dushanbe in cooperation with Minsk Dairy Plant No. 1. The project is financed by loans of the International Finance Corporation. The project will be implemented using Belarusian technology. Belarus will supply raw materials for the joint venture as well as ready-made dairy products for the distribution network run by Tajikistani partners. The ultimate goal of the project is to meet the domestic demand and to penetrate the markets of the neighboring states.
Tajikistan is also interested in setting up a second joint venture to produce dairy products on the premises of the Avicenna company. Belarus will be represented in this project by the Grodno-based Molochny Mir company. Using its own funds, Avicenna purchased a dairy farm (over 1,500 head of cattle), as well as production premises and equipment for the dairy company in Hisor. The company is in talks with the International Finance Corporation on the project financing. The products to be made by the company are meant for the market of Afghanistan.
