Central Asia is strategically positioned to cultivate and export fresh and dried fruits and vegetables. Countries like Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are significant producers of dried fruits, particularly apricots. However, traders in the region face challenges diversifying their export portfolios and accessing higher-end markets.
International standards, such as those established by UNECE for fresh and dried produce, play a crucial role in eliminating technical barriers and expanding export opportunities. This contributes to the growth of rural employment and incomes, directly impacting the achievement of various Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to poverty and nutrition.
Ensuring compliance with international standards is not always a straightforward process for potential exporting countries. In response to a request from the Central Asian Working Group to Promote Exports of Agricultural Produce (CAWG), UNECE has partnered with UNDP, OECD, and Hilfswerk International to organize a practical training workshop on “Agricultural Quality Standards: Methods and Tools for Inspection and Sampling of Fresh and Dried Fruits and Vegetables.” The event will take place in Tashkent from 4-6 June 2024.
The workshop brought together representatives from relevant government agencies, business associations, and other stakeholders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It addressed critical needs for Central Asian countries to align with international agricultural quality standards and establish appropriate infrastructure for inspections, potentially opening up new market opportunities and contributing to the region’s sustainable development.
Mr. Ariel Ivanier, Chief of the UNECE Market Access Section, emphasized the importance of agricultural quality standards in removing technical barriers and enhancing trade. He stated, “The UNECE standards are used by authorities to ensure products meet transparent rules, by producers to improve production and access new markets, and by traders and retail chains to confidently order produce of expected quality. This training is timely for Central Asia, where the potential for fresh and dried fruit production continues to grow.”
The workshop covered a range of topics related to the importance of quality standards and included practical exercises. These sessions provided guidance and shared best practices in the following areas:
Standards and inspections: Experts from Slovakia, Germany, and the United States shared insights from case studies on why quality standards matter, who they benefit, and how they are applied.
Sampling techniques: Hands-on experience was provided through practical sessions on sampling fresh and dried produce.
Assessing product compliance with UNECE standards: Methodological guidance and practical exercises were conducted for apricots, apples, dried apples, walnuts, tomatoes, prunes, peaches, and nectarines.
This workshop builds upon a series of joint capacity building activities by UNECE, UNDP, and Hilfswerk International since 2016. As stated by Mr. Ravshan Yunusov, Team Leader on Inclusive Growth at UNDP Uzbekistan, “The results of the joint efforts by UNDP/UNECE/Hilfswerk have become tangible. From 2017 to 2022, the export of fresh fruits and vegetables (including nuts and dried fruits) from Uzbekistan increased by 32%, and the share of dried fruits in these exports rose from 4% in 2005 to over 28% in 2022.”
Looking ahead, Ms. Sherzoda Sitora, Head of the Exports of Industrial Products Department at the Agency for Export under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, emphasized the commitment of Central Asian governments to continue their involvement in the development of agricultural quality standards. She stated, “CAWG will continue its activities in the region, with a greater focus on developing inspection systems for export-oriented agricultural products.”
Note to editors
UNECE has established over 100 agricultural quality standards for fresh and dried fruits and vegetables, meat, seed potatoes, cut flowers, eggs, and egg products. These standards are used internationally by governments, producers, traders, importers, and exporters. Their common terminology and harmonized requirements facilitate understanding of the quality of marketed products, reducing transaction costs and risks, while also allowing for price differentiation based on quality. Thus, the standards are a crucial component of a broader quality assurance and control system that supports international trade.
UNECE standards also serve as the basis for agricultural quality legislation in several countries. For example, in the EU, trade in the ten most traded types of fresh fruits and vegetables (apples, citrus fruit, kiwi, lettuce, peaches and nectarines, pears, strawberries, sweet peppers, table grapes, and tomatoes) must comply with specific marketing standards that are harmonized with UNECE standards.