U.S. allocates Tajikistan $19 mln for agricultural development

DUSHANBE. May 11 (Interfax) - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the launch of a new five-year Market Driven Rural Development (MDRD) project in Tajikistan worth $19 million, the U.S. Embassy in the country said.

The funds will be used to accelerate growth in the agricultural sector by providing inclusive access to economic opportunities in rural communities across the country.

"The MDRD project will support improving the competitiveness and resilience of Tajikistan's agricultural sector by establishing links between farmers and agro-enterprises and encouraging close and beneficial cooperation along the entire value chain," the report says.

"This project is consistent with the goals of the Tajik government's new agri-food policy and sustainable development agenda and will help transform the country's economic base from an agrarian to an agro-industrial one," U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Manuel Micaller said in a statement.