Uzbekistan, Japan to strengthen food safety cooperation

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan and Japan plan to expand practical cooperation in food safety, livestock development and animal health, the Committee for Food Safety of Uzbekistan said.

The issue was discussed at a meeting between Azizbek Urunov, chairman of the Committee for Food Safety, and a delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) led by its Uzbekistan office chief, Mamoru Sakai.

One of the key topics was the implementation of joint Uzbekistan-Japan projects. In particular, JICA is participating in a project titled “Livestock Development and Improvement of Animal Health” in Uzbekistan.

The project covers Karakalpakstan and all regions of Uzbekistan. Farmers and entrepreneurs working in the livestock sector will participate in the initiative.

The project provides financial support for the sector through a two-stage lending mechanism. It is also aimed at strengthening the professional capacity of specialists and research institutions working in livestock development.

Another area of the project is the modernization of diagnostic infrastructure. Diagnostic centers are to be equipped with modern equipment, which is expected to expand their capacity to address animal health issues.

The sides also discussed signing a trilateral agreement required to begin financing the project. They additionally considered accelerating bilateral technical cooperation.

The Committee for Food Safety emphasized the importance of international cooperation in introducing modern approaches, best practices and technologies into Uzbekistan’s national food safety system.

Particular importance is being attached to the use of scientific advances in the production and preparation of safe food products, as well as to further developing the sector in line with international standards.