ADB approves $60 million concessional loan for livestock development in Uzbekistan

The Sustainable Livestock Development Project is aimed at approximately 29,000 smallholder farms in Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Navoi, and Samarkand regions and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Among its goals, the bank cited strengthening food security, increasing sector productivity and sustainability, and improving rural living conditions.

Under the project, farmers are set to receive easier access to feed, strengthened veterinary services, and more efficient pasture management. To adapt to droughts, extreme heat, and water shortages, plans include restoring livestock watering points, expanding the planting of drought- and salinity-resilient fodder crops, and increasing the availability of feed.

Veterinary and advisory services are slated to be enhanced with digital tools: pastures will be monitored using artificial intelligence, a mobile application offering advice and an early warning system will be introduced for farmers, and community-level veterinary support will be upgraded. Women working in the livestock sector will be offered specialized training, assistance in feed production, and greater opportunities for entrepreneurship in the sector and involvement in decision-making.

Two grants will complement the loan: $5 million from the Green Climate Fund under the Glaciers to Farms program and $3 million from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR), funded by the government of Japan through the ADB. "This project will help farmers increase livestock productivity, use land and water resources more efficiently, and strengthen resilience to climate challenges," said Kanokpan Lao-Araya, ADB Country Director for Uzbekistan.