The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently handed over $205,000 worth of laboratory equipment to Uzbekistan's Plant Protection and Quarantine Agency (PPQA). It was presented in a ceremony in Tashkent. This donation falls within USAID's mission to strengthen the agricultural health infrastructure of Uzbekistan.
Advanced data management equipment, network security, and information processing equipment will be operated at the PPQA's Central Phytosanitary Laboratory. The modernization will upgrade the capacity to analyze plant health for the agency, thus enabling Uzbekistan's compliance with international agricultural standards from the IPPC.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, USAID Deputy Mission Director in Uzbekistan Edward Michalski emphasized,
“The U.S. Government, through USAID, is proud to be a trusted partner in advancing Uzbekistan’s economic development. A key part of our collaboration is supporting the enhancement of plant protection standards across the country”. “Today marks an important milestone in our partnership with the Uzbek Plant Protection and Quarantine Agency. Together, we are taking a crucial step toward modernizing Uzbekistan’s plant protection systems and raising the country’s agricultural standards to new heights”.
Uzbekistan’s recent membership in the IPPC reflects the country’s commitment to aligning its agricultural practices with global standards. The new equipment will play a key role in achieving laboratory accreditation under the IPPC, which will help reduce diagnostic errors and speed up the analysis of plant health. This is an important step toward improving food safety and plant protection in Uzbekistan as well as enhancing trade standards with international partners.
Numerous benefits include automatic acquisition and processing, accuracy improvement, speed and effectiveness in information distribution, and most importantly, access rights to data are limited to authorized users only, so decisions are made on time while maintaining confidentiality. Automating main processes ensures low human error, increased result reliability, and enhances overall efficiency of Uzbekistan's phytosanitary activities.
This donation will be a milestone in bolstering Uzbekistan's agricultural security, further developing the global trade, and preserving its natural resources. With these new capabilities, Uzbekistan stands better to meet international agricultural standards and further concrete its growth in the global market.
