IFPRI CA NEWS DIGEST (MARCH 14 – MARCH 20, 2018)

News 
Vegetable oil production launches in East Kazakhstan region
Tag-Tin, a Kazakh food company, is planning to open a sunflower and rapeseed processing plant using state financing earmarked for domestic producers. The new factory will be the second of its kind in Kazakhstan, which is looking to export processed oil made from the two crops. A local trade group official noted that sunflower and rapeseed oil are in great demand in China. Kazakh oil processors serve the domestic market but are unable to meet local demand and compete largely with Russian products. – Astana Times
2017 year in review: China's cherry market
Central Asian countries supplied a combined 0.07 percent of China’s cherry imports in 2017, according to Chinese customs data. Over 90 percent of Chinese cherry imports were from Chile (67.7%) or the United States (26.5%). The report notes that while Tajik and Kyrgyz cherries boast huge pricing advantages compared to their competitors, they face challenges in terms of outdated production methods, lack of cold storage facilities, and inefficient processing and packing practices. Most cherries from Central Asia are shipped via air to Urumqi in the Xinjiang region. Although Uzbek cherries have gained a foothold in other global markets, they are temporarily restricted from China, pending agreement on procedures. However, Uzbek cherries are slated to enter the Chinese market in the near future. – Produce Report

Kazakhstan plans to supply Azerbaijan with 1 million metric tons of grain per year
Kazakhstan plans to export up to 1 million metric tons of grain through Azerbaijan’s Baku grain terminal. The terminal contains a mill that processes grain into flour. It is estimated that Azerbaijan’s grain demand is approximately 3 to 3.5 million metric tons per year. In addition, Kazakh grain could be exported onward to Iran through the Baku terminal. – UkrAgroConsult

Analysis & Other Information
Chinese agricultural firms expand along Belt and Road
Chinese agricultural firms are building links with farms throughout the former Soviet republics. This article features Huangfanqu Farm in China’s central Henan province, which has established subsidiaries in Tajikistan and Ukraine. China is encouraging its farm enterprises to expand overseas, especially in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative and Maritime Silk Road (which connects China with countries mostly near the Indian Ocean). The article notes that agricultural research centers are likewise creating international partnerships: for example, the Yangling Agriculture Hi-Tech Industrial Zone has established demonstration parks in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. – Xinhua

Addressing childhood malnutrition and stunting in Tajikistan
A recent World Bank study found that more than 20 percent of children under the age of five in Tajikistan are stunted. Children living in households with poor diets, poor access to clean water, and inadequate sanitary conditions are especially at risk of stunting. In addition, children in rural areas are more likely to be stunted or undernourished, particularly in the Districts of Republican Subordination and Khatlon Province. – World Bank

Rare Central Asia summit signals regional thaw
The leaders of four Central Asian countries met in Kazakhstan on March 15 to discuss a wide range of regional issues. Only the president of Turkmenistan did not attend the summit, which was notable in that it was the first meeting of its kind in nearly a decade. The leaders discussed water and energy sharing in addition to improving trade within the region. – Radio Free Europe

Publications & Reports
The migration of labor and migrant incomes in Russia
M. Denisenko and E. Chernina (2017). Problems of Economic Transition, 59(11-12), pp. 886-908.

Improvement of economic traits and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in sheep and goats in Central Asia
F. Forabosco and R. Negrini (2018). Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change.

Renewable energy and the regional prospect on sustainable development of Central Asia
M. Gubaidullina, B. Balaubaeva, S. Karimova (2017). KazNU Bulletin, 80(4), pp. 4-17.

Past management affects success of current joint forestry management institutions in Tajikistan
L. Haider, B. Neusel, G. Peterson, M. Schluter (2018). Environment, Development, and Sustainability.

Household decision-making around food in rural Tajikistan: a cross-sectional study to help extension workers in the field
E. Wood, K. McNamara, A. Kowalewska, N. Ludgate (2018). Food and Nutrition Research, 62(2018).

Development impacts of international migration on "sending" communities: the case of rural Kyrgyzstan
E. Zhunusova, R. Herrmann (2018). The European Journal of Development Research.

Events & Call for Papers
2018 Regional Summer School for Young Economists
Call for applications. 4 – 15 June 2018 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT). The course will largely focus on developing econometric analysis, policy analysis, and quantitative research skills for use in economics and related social sciences. The course is open to individuals who are engaged in research or are preparing for a career in research, are fluent in English, and are 35 years old or younger. Please click on the above link for further details. Deadline to submit applications is 20 April 2018.

"Agriculture Trade and Foreign Investments for Sustainable Regional Integration in Caucasus and Central Asia" Conference
6 – 7 September 2018 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Organized by Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economics (IAMO) and Institute of Scientific Research on Economic Reforms (ISRER). The aim of this conference is to serve as a platform to discuss options for regional integration in the Caucasus and Central Asian countries and to explore opportunities for increasing agricultural exports from the region. Researchers, public officials, and private sector partners are invited to participate. The conference will be conducted in English and Russian. Please click on the above link for further details. Abstract submission is open until 11 May 2018.

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.