Farmers and dried fruit producers of Khatlon gathered in Abdurahmon-Jomi district on July 4, 2025 for a hands-on workshop focused on the basic principles of fruit drying, marking a significant step toward improving product quality and boosting export potential.

The workshop is organized through the collaboration of International Trade Centre (ITC) projects in Tajikistan: Trade Promotion East (funded by the Government of Switzerland) and Ready4Trade Central Asia (funded by the European Union), says press release issued by ITC Tajikistan.

Led by international expert Anton Erwee, the workshop covered essential topics including fruit harvesting, ripening, sulphuring techniques, drying methods, and safe storage practices. Participants also benefited from a practical on-site demonstration that linked theory to real-world application.

“Understanding these fundamental drying processes is critical for producers still in the early stages of development in Khatlon region,” said Erwee.  “Our goal was to give participants the knowledge and skills they need to improve their products right from the orchard, ensuring better quality and longer shelf life.”

Muhammadyusuf Nazrizoda, Director of “Nazriyon” fruits and vegetables processing company in Jayhun, who took part in the workshop, shared his experience: “This training has opened my eyes to new ways of handling fruit after harvest.  The knowledge about sulphuring and drying will help me produce better dried fruits that can compete in bigger markets.”

The workshop is a vital part of Tajikistan’s strategy to modernize its agro-processing sector, especially in regions where many producers are beginning to scale operations.  By building a strong foundation in drying practices, producers are better equipped to increase product quality, reduce post-harvest losses, and access more lucrative international markets.

The training also includes follow-up visits to companies to provide advisory support and evaluate progress, ensuring the knowledge translates into practical improvements.

This workshop is just one example of how ITC is helping local businesses to grow by improving their export knowledge and skills.  By empowering producers with these skills, the initiative aims to position Tajik dried fruit as a competitive player in international agro-processing markets, contributing to sustainable economic development and improved livelihoods.

ITC’s Trade Promotion East (TPE) is funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the Swiss Confederation. Tajikistan is one of four countries, together with Uzbekistan, Albania, and Serbia, selected to be part of the TPE program.  The project will focus on the competitiveness and sustainable export growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the dried fruits sector, as well as improving the capacities of business support organizations (BSOs) to provide quality services to SMEs. 

ITC’s Ready4Trade: Fostering Prosperity through the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor project, funded by the European Union, aims to advance the EU-Central Asia connectivity agenda by increasing the operational efficiency of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and supporting the internationalization of Central Asian businesses.  This will be achieved by simplifying cross-border formalities, improving regional coordination to boost trade and transport connectivity, and enhancing SME competitiveness to access regional and EU markets.  Part of the EU-funded “Prosperity in Central Asia” program, the project builds on the results of the EU-funded Ready4Trade Central Asia (2020-2024).

ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations.  ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.