IFPRI CA NEWS DIGEST (AUGUST 23 – AUGUST 29, 2017)
News
Kazakhstan harvested more than 1.35 million tons of grain
(August 23) Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture reported that 1.35 million tons of grain have been harvested as of August 7, compared to 1.32 million tons on the same date in 2016. The International Grains Council projects national production at 17.5 million tons for the 2017-2018 marketing year, which runs from July to June in Kazakhstan. – Kazakh Zerno
Kenya to promote key agricultural exports in Central Asia
(August 24) Kenyan government officials will use the Mini World Expo in Astana, Kazakhstan from August 28 to September 1 to explore the possibility of increasing exports to Central Asia. Kenya exports tea to Kazakhstan, which trade officials consider a critical emerging market for Kenyan agricultural products. Trade volume between Kenya and Kazakhstan was valued at $47 million in 2016, but Kenyan officials are looking to expand their commercial presence in the region. – News Ghana
Papa John's signs development deals in Central Asia, Poland
(August 25) U.S. pizza company Papa John’s has signed development deals to open its first franchises in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Poland by the end of 2017. The regional franchisee for Papa John’s is planning to open multiple restaurants in each of the three countries over the next few years. Expansion into Central Asia and Poland follows its successful entry into the Russian and Belarusian markets. – Nasdaq, Reuters
Uzbekistan is the most attractive country for Russian non-energy exports
(August 29) The Russian Export Center (REC) has rated Uzbekistan as the most attractive destination for non-energy exports. In second behind Uzbekistan is Poland, with Germany, Turkey, and India rounding out the top five countries in the rankings. REC analysts based the rankings on 14 factors including existing import activities, complementarity of trade, accessibility of transport, and GDP growth. The REC is a government-mandated institution under Vnesheconombank providing assistance to exporters. – Trend.az, RBK, Russian Export Center
Analysis & Other Information
Central Asian states want to be unified, attractive for China: expert
(August 24) The prospects of Chinese investment are driving the recent rapprochement among Central Asian countries, claims Kenneth Katzman, a senior analyst at the U.S. Congressional Research Service. According to Katzman, Central Asian leaders are using regional integration to attract investments as part of China’s One Belt One Road initiative. Apart from economic reasons, Katzman notes that shared fears over the Islamic State, which contains a sizable contingent of Central Asian fighters, are compelling regional leaders to cooperate. – Trend.az
Kyrgyzstan has lost 30 percent of its glaciers
(August 25) Kyrgyzstan has lost approximately 30 percent of its glaciers, a figure that could rise to 70 percent by the end of this century, according to deputy economic minister Daniyar Imanaliev, who was speaking at an international forum on snow leopard conservation in Bishkek. – 24.kg
Japan to counteract China in Kazakhstan with new Asia-Europe rail deal
(August 29) Japan’s Nippon Express logistics firm has signed an agreement with Kazakh Railways to increase flow of overland container traffic between East Asia and Europe. Under the agreement, Kazakh Railways would handle the transshipment and processing of containers across Kazakh territory. The author of this article views this as a sign of increasing competition between Japan and China in Eurasia, noting that Japan has not joined the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) but continues to be active in regional infrastructure investment through its own initiatives. The author adds, however, that while the two countries may have competing objectives, their efforts will ultimately contribute to the “New Silk Road” concept in any case. – Forbes
Publications & Reports
Optimizing adjustments to transboundary water sharing plans: a multi-basin approach
Acquah, F. Ward (2017). Water Resources Management, 2017, pp. 1-24.
The importance of geographic access for the impact of microfinance
Alimukhamedova, R. Filer, J. Hanousek (2017). Development Policy Review, 35(5), pp. 645-657.
Assessment of wheat yield gap in Central Asia
Benli (2017). ICARDA.
Measuring the economic impact of climate change on agriculture: a Ricardian analysis of farmlands in Tajikistan
Closset (2017). ICARDA.
Cost effectiveness of growing cotton depending on irrigation source and groundwater salinity in the Ferghana Valley, Uzbekistan
Muminov, G. Stulina, I. Rusiev (2017). Agricultural Sciences, 8, pp. 729-742.
Central Asian characteristics on China's New Silk Road: the role of landscape and the politics of infrastructure
Sternberg, A. Ahearn, F. McConnell (2017). Land, 2017, 6(3), 55.
Investigation of low cost solar drying of apricots for Tajikistan
H. Wang, R. Stroshine (2017). The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium. Purdue University. Paper 121.
Events & Calls for Papers
ANICANET Summer School 2017
Training course. September 25-29, 2017 in Halle, Germany. Organized by Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO). Summer school on quantitative analysis featuring discussion about animal husbandry in Central Asia. Check link for detailed descriptions about program and eligibility. Deadline to register for the course was August 13, 2017. Please contact anicanet@iamo.de for further details.
Annual Eurasian Food Security Conference
Annual conference. October 3-5, 2017 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Organized by the Eurasian Center for Food Security at Lomonosov Moscow State University (ECFS), World Bank Group, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA). Deadline to register for the conference is September 17, 2017.
Life in Kyrgyzstan
Annual conference. October 12-13, 2017 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Organized by Institute of Public Policy and Administration of the University of Central Asia (UCA), Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), International Security and Development Center (ISDC), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Deadline to submit papers is June 15, 2017. Deadline to register is September 15, 2017.
Archived issues of the news digest can be found on the Central Asia page under the ReSAKSS Asia website: http://resakss-asia.org/regions/central-asia. A link to the newsletter can be found under Blog Posts.
The articles included in this news digest have been generated from online sources. Any opinions stated herein are not representative of, or endorsed by, the International Food Policy Research Institute or its partners.
