Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a concessional loan of US$60 million to improve livestock productivity and climate resilience in Uzbekistan. The project will cover around 29,000 smallholder farms in five regions, ADB reported.
The Sustainable Livestock Development Project will be implemented in Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Navoi and Samarkand regions, as well as the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Its objectives include improving farmers’ access to animal feed, strengthening veterinary services and making pasture management more efficient.
The project will introduce measures to help the sector adapt to droughts, extreme heat and water shortages. These include improving pasture management, expanding the production of drought- and salt-tolerant fodder crops, restoring livestock watering points and increasing feed availability.
The project also provides for expanded veterinary and advisory services using digital technologies. Planned measures include AI-powered pasture monitoring, a mobile application offering recommendations and an early warning system for farmers, and modernised veterinary support at community level.
Particular attention will be paid to women working in livestock farming. They will receive specialised training and support in fodder production, alongside greater opportunities to participate in business activities and decision-making.
The ADB loan of US$60 million will be supplemented by a US$5 million grant from the Green Climate Fund under the Glaciers to Farms programme and a US$3 million grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR), financed by the Japanese government through ADB.
According to Kanokpan Lao-Araya, head of ADB’s Resident Mission in Uzbekistan, livestock farming remains an important source of income and food for rural residents, but the sector is facing the effects of droughts, extreme heat and water shortages.
