The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $60 million concessional loan to increase livestock productivity, strengthen food security and support rural farmers in Uzbekistan.

The Resilient Livestock Development Project is expected to benefit approximately 29,000 smallholder farmers across five major livestock-producing areas: Bukhara, Kashkadarya, Navoi, the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Samarkand, Qazinform News Agency reports.

The initiative aims to improve access to animal feed, strengthen veterinary services and promote sustainable pasture management.

"Livestock is a vital source of income and food for millions of people in rural Uzbekistan, but the sector is increasingly affected by drought, extreme heat, and water scarcity," said ADB Country Director for Uzbekistan Kanokpan Lao-Araya.

She noted that the project would help farmers increase livestock production, use land and water resources more efficiently and strengthen their resilience to climate-related challenges.

The project will introduce practical measures to help livestock farmers adapt to increasingly difficult environmental conditions.

These include improving pasture management, expanding the cultivation of drought- and salt-tolerant fodder crops, rehabilitating livestock watering points and increasing the availability of animal feed.

The initiative will also modernize veterinary and agricultural advisory services through digital technologies.

Planned measures include AI-powered pasture monitoring, a mobile application providing farming advice and early warnings, and expanded community-based veterinary support.

The project will place particular emphasis on supporting women involved in livestock farming.

Women farmers will receive specialized training and assistance in fodder production, while the initiative will create additional opportunities for them to participate in livestock-related businesses and decision-making.

Additional $8 million in grants

The $60 million ADB loan will be supplemented by two grants:

$5 million from the Green Climate Fund under the Glaciers to Farms program.

$3 million from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR), financed by the Japanese government through the ADB.

The combined financing package of $68 million is expected to strengthen Uzbekistan's livestock sector, improve rural livelihoods and help farmers cope with growing climate pressures.