Greenhouse management and farming focus of OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan-supported study visit to the Netherlands

Horticulture, greenhouse management, use of information technologies in farming and forming and managing co-operatives in the farming sector were the focus of a five-day training and study trip organized by the  Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan for ten Uzbek women farmers to the Netherlands, from 3 to 7 June 2019.

The farmers visited the World Horti Centre in Naaldwijk, where they were introduced to advanced technologies in horticulture management and greenhouse technologies.

The World Horti Centre is a knowledge and innovation centre for international greenhouse horticulture. It facilitates innovative collaboration among international businesses in the horticulture and greenhouse sector and provides facilities for research and education in this field for more than 1,200 students.

Netherland’s leading companies presented their know-how on increasing returns and reducing the use of resources in horticulture and greenhouse management, discussing current research as well as its practical applications to the conditions of Uzbekistan. The theoretical training was enriched by field visits to private companies dealing with seed production and greenhouse management.

The farmers also participated in an intensive interactive course on building and managing co-operatives that help farmers to collaborate on all aspects of farming, from procuring loans to the marketing of produce. The Dutch model was adapted to the conditions in Uzbekistan and tailored to the specific needs of women farmers.

The Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan has been active in the field of women’s entrepreneurship since 2007 and is currently supporting the female business community through the extra-budgetary project Support to Managerial Capacity Building of Female Managers, funded by Germany, Norway and the Netherlands.