ADB supports Uzbekistan’s livestock sector with $60 million financing package
The Asian Development Bank has greenlit a $60 million concessional loan to boost livestock productivity, strengthen food security, and support rural farmers in Uzbekistan, Qazinform News Agency cites the press service of the ADB.
The Resilient Livestock Development Project is expected to benefit approximately 29,000 smallholder farmers in five major livestock-producing areas: Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Navoi, the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and Samarkand. It aims to improve farmers’ access to animal feed, strengthen veterinary services, and promote more sustainable pasture management.
“Livestock is a vital source of income and food for millions of people in rural Uzbekistan, but the sector is increasingly affected by drought, extreme heat, and water scarcity,” said ADB Country Director for Uzbekistan Kanokpan Lao-Araya. She noted that the project would help farmers increase livestock production, use land and water resources more efficiently, and strengthen their resilience.
The initiative will introduce a range of practical measures to help farmers adapt to worsening environmental conditions. These include improving pasture management, expanding the cultivation of drought- and salt-tolerant fodder crops, rehabilitating livestock watering points, and increasing the availability of animal feed.
The project will also focus on modernizing veterinary and agricultural advisory services through digital technologies. Planned measures include AI-supported pasture monitoring, a mobile application offering farming advice and early warnings, and improved community-based veterinary support.
Women livestock farmers will receive targeted training and assistance in fodder production. The initiative will also create additional opportunities for women to participate in livestock-related businesses and decision-making processes.
The $60 million ADB loan will be supplemented by a $5 million grant from the Green Climate Fund under the Glaciers to Farms program and a further $3 million grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR), financed by the Government of Japan through ADB.
Earlier, Qazinform reported the ADB approved the first strategic business outlook, projected $104.5 billion in financing by 2029.