TAJIKISTAN NUTRITION-SENSITIVE VEGETABLE TECHNOLOGIES: Phase II

Start date:  October 2014
End date:  December 2019

Budget: USD 1,189,600

Objective

Under the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative, the Tajikistan Nutrition-Sensitive Vegetable Technologies Project aims to increase the production and consumption of improved vegetables that are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and zinc in Feed the Future’s geographic focus area.

Situation and Solution

Tajikistan has high levels of undernutrition among children younger than five years and women of reproductive age.  These deficiencies are currently reflected in a 29.37 percent stunting rate and a 9.2 percent wasting rate, both of which result from deficiencies in vitamin A, iron, zinc, iodine, and animal protein. Phase II of the Tajikistan Nutrition-Sensitive Vegetable Technologies Project will reduce stunting and wasting in children younger than 24 months of age and under-nutrition in women of reproductive age through increasing the production and consumption of nutritious vegetables in the Feed the Future’s focus districts.

This 24-month project with the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) will introduce new nutritious vegetable crops as well as new production methods, including greenhouses for extended season vegetable production. The project will also introduce high-quality seed multiplication for the most popular crops.

Expected Results

• Introduce crop varieties and technologies to improve vegetable production to 350 farmers, researchers, agriculture extensionists, and agribusinesses.
• Improve management practices for private enterprises, producers, organizations, water users’ associations, women’s groups, trade and business associations, and community-based organizations through adopting new farming technologies in vegetable production.
• Develop an Integrated Pest Management Package to control Tuta absoluta – a new and very dangerous pest affecting vegetables in Tajikistan – for greenhouse production, to be scaled up in Feed the Future target districts.
• Design and introduce a new, more advanced and efficient greenhouse model to local farmers.