IFPRI CA NEWS DIGEST (JANUARY 24 – JANUARY 30, 2018)
News
EBRD and EU launch small business program in Central Asia
The EBRD will manage an EU-funded project called the Regional Small Business Programme (RSBP), which will support the development of small businesses in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The project will equip financial institutions in the region with digital business tools and the know-how to aid small- and medium-sized enterprises. – EBRD USAID, World Food Programme partner to defeat malnutrition in Tajikistan
USAID and the World Food Programme recently launched the Prevention and Treatment of Moderate Acute Malnutrition Project aimed at improving nutrition and healthcare in Khatlon and Soghd provinces in Tajikistan. WFP plans to provide specialized foods for over 24,000 malnourished children aged 6-59 months in the targeted districts. – Asia-Plus
Chinese dairy company interested in Kyrgyzstan's market
China’s Yili Industrial Group is interested in investing in Kyrgyzstan’s dairy sector, among other projects for cooperation in agriculture. Kyrgyz prime minister Sapar Isakov met with Zhang Jianqiu, the head of Yili, at the sidelines of the Davos forum, where they discussed exploring opportunities for the joint production of dairy products in Kyrgyzstan. – AzerNews
Tajikistan bans imports of non-halal meat products
Tajik media is reporting that the Tajik State Service of Veterinary Control has banned imports of non-halal meat products. Only accredited foreign suppliers will be able to export meat products to Tajikistan. Tajik inspectors will visit overseas production facilities to check the quality and safety of products. Meat products are mostly imported from India and Russia. – AzerNews
China helps Kyrgyzstan with drinking water safety research
Researchers from the China Academy of Sciences (CAS) have completed a study on drinking water pollution in Kyrgyzstan. As part of the water quality assessment, researchers collected 184 water samples from over 20 major rivers. Using data gathered from the survey, the CAS will advise the Kyrgyz government on solutions to water pollution, use of rain water, and waste water treatment and recycling. – Xinhua
Analysis & Other Information
Tajikistan: is Islamic banking the future?
This EurasiaNet feature describes the emerging Islamic banking sector in Tajikistan. Firms offering Islamic financial services, which eschew the collection of interest among other characteristics, have encountered challenges operating in the local market. While demand for Islamic banking is on the rise, a shortage of local technical expertise and mixed public perceptions have stalled the sector’s growth. – EurasiaNet
Publications & Reports
Household allocation of microfinance credit in Kyrgyzstan
S. Angioloni, Z. Kudabaev, G. Ames, M. Wetzstein. Post-Communist Economies, 30(1), pp. 78-98.
World Economic Outlook Update, January 2018
IMF (2018).
Local water management in Tajikistan: legal framework
F. Kabilov (2018). Central Asian Journal of Water Research, 3(2), pp. 73-88.
The sodium and potassium content of the most commonly available street foods in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in the context of the FEEDCities project
I. Lanca, N. Lunet, G. Albuquerque et al. (2018). Nutrients, 10(1), pp. 98-119.
Kazakhstan's cotton sector reforms since independence
D. Oshakbayev, R. Taitukova, M. Petrick, N. Djanibekov (2018). Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economics. Discussion paper no. 172.
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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.
