Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a seminar in Tashkent to develop a scientifically grounded National Strategy and Action Plan for the prevention and control of wheat rust.

The event brought together policymakers, scientists, and key representatives of the agricultural sector, strengthening national capacity and fostering regional cooperation in wheat disease management.

Wheat rust poses a serious transboundary threat to agricultural crops in Central Asia and the Caucasus. The rapid airborne spread of its pathogens endangers food security and agricultural sustainability in the region. To address this challenge, FAO is implementing the CAC-Rust project (CP/SEC/016/TUR) under the FAO-Türkiye Partnership Program, supporting efforts in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Türkiye.

The seminar opened with speeches by Sherzod Umarov, Deputy Representative of FAO in Uzbekistan; Shukhrat Otajonov, Director of the National Center for Knowledge and Innovation; Abdulla Mansurov, Head of the Cereal Crops Department at the Ministry of Agriculture; and Zafarjon Ziyaev, Director of the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources. The speakers emphasized the critical importance of combating wheat rust not only for Uzbekistan but for the entire region.

Turkish experts Suat Kaymak and Mehmet Demir presented Türkiye’s experience in wheat disease monitoring, while participants received training in breeding rust-resistant wheat varieties led by Mahbubjon Rakhmatov, the project’s regional consultant, and Emrah Koç from CIMMYT Türkiye.

The seminar facilitated collaboration between national and international researchers and provided momentum for the development of a new National Strategy to combat wheat rust in Uzbekistan. FAO remains committed to enhancing food security and promoting sustainable agriculture in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

The FAO-Türkiye Partnership Program focuses on food security, rural poverty reduction, sustainable forestry, and ecosystem conservation in Central Asia and beyond. Since its launch in 2007, the program has received $30 million in funding from the Government of Türkiye.