Agriculture is vital to the Central Asian country’s economy; knowledge dissemination strengthens farmers’ capacity to manage pests, risks, and crops.

A one-day Regional Workshop on “Development of IPM strategy for South American tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) and mungbean cultivation technology in Tajikistan” was held 27 September 2019 in Bokhtar, Tajikistan.

Organized by the Tajikistan Nutrition Sensitive Technologies Project – Phase 2, which is funded by USAID and implemented by the World Vegetable Center, the workshop drew 57 participants (two women and 55 men), mostly farmers from 12 districts in Khatlon region. Other participants included representatives from Hukumat in Khatlon and USAID Tajikistan, agriculture officers from target districts, NGO staff, and the media.

Mr. Sorbon Sharipov (Representative from Khatlon Regional Government), Mr. Tojiddin Najmedinov (USAID Tajikistan) and Dr. Srinivasan Ramasamy (Project Manager and Acting Regional Director – South and Central Asia, World Vegetable Center) welcomed participants. Srini then gave an overview on the threat of  Tuta absoluta worldwide. Dr. Nurali Saidov (National Project Coordinator) talked about the spread and severity of T. absoluta on tomato in Tajikistan, and the development of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to deal with the pest. Dr. Hikmatullo Nazirov (Director of Research Institute of Horticulture and Vegetables of the Tajik Academy of Agricultural Sciences) and Dr. Ravza Mavlyanova (WorldVeg consultant) focused on improved mungbean lines, evaluation trials and seed multiplication. Mr. Firuz Odinaev (Project Assistant) presented results of a recent mungbean value chain analysis in Tajikistan.

Tajikistan’s national television station “Janonnamo” aired a report about the workshop at 5 and 9 pm on 30 September 2019.

Story and photos: Srinivasan Ramasamy