Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – An official launch of a trade and information portal took place recently, which opens up wide opportunities for intraregional and international trade for agricultural producers and gives a chance for positive changes in local systems of agricultural production and production of non-timber forest products in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

This trade and information portal "rural-cluster.org" was developed by a team of experts within the framework of the project "Expanding and promoting organic products of local small farmers and forest users of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to the markets of the European Union" (ELSOFP CA), funded by the European Commission programme, Central Asia Invest V.

To make this trade and information resource as useful and in-demand as possible, the team of the ELSOFP CA project consortium studied and summarized in detail the demand for products in the markets of the European Union and the supply of goods from farmers from three Central Asian countries.

How and why does this resource differ from other portals and platforms? The portal is free, trade operations between Central Asia and Europe are real, consultations and support are provided on time, information and training materials are available at any time. All materials developed during the ELSOFP CA project are available in a user-friendly form and language through an online portal specially designed for farmers, producers, exporters and everyone interested and involved in sustainable natural resource management, production, trade, and also consultations of the parties, standards and ample opportunities for export.

The shopping part of the portal contains a wide selection of products for buyers and retailers, information on the location of farms and forestry for product traceability (EU market requirement), the ability to form groups for certification of organic products and receive interesting offers and opportunities from producers, find farmers and producers and contact them online.

If the manufacturer does not have experience in exporting his products, then the information part of the portal is very useful. It contains training and marketing manuals for the implementation of international standards and preparation of all necessary export documentation. Access to these and many other useful resources is unlimited and possible at any time, like all other resources, free of charge.

The solemn ceremony of launching the trade and information portal "rural-cluster.org" was held in the format of a virtual meeting, in connection with the quarantine measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But interest in this resource did not diminish from this. This meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture and Chambers of Commerce, leading experts from FAO Country Offices, UNDP and other international organizations, agri-food producers and interested farmers.

“This resource, like the entire ELSOFP CA project, creates conditions for positive changes in local systems of agricultural production and production of non-timber forest products in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. In general, all these changes will contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources, in particular agricultural, forest and rangelands. This, in turn, will help reduce the negative impact on climate change and increase natural biodiversity as opposed to intensive farming methods,” said Charlotte Adrian, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic, in her welcoming speech.

You can go through and register on the portal by the link: https://rural-cluster.org.