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The USAID Trade Central Asia (TCA) activity is inviting applications from leading private companies of Turkmenistan engaged in the production and export of fresh fruits and vegetables (including nut crops) to participate in a contest organized as part of an initiative to promote export from Turkmenistan to premium foreign markets. Within the framework of this initiative TCA will provide assistance to three leading producers and exporters of fresh fruits and vegetables and nut crops in co-financing their GlobalG.A.P. certification, and increase their export capacity.

Information about the GlobalG.A.P. standard can be found under the link below: https://orient.tm/ru/post/36459/bezopasnost-produktov-pitaniya-konsultanty-globalgp-teper-i-v-turkmenistane

At the first stage of the export facilitation initiative, when three winners will have successfully implemented (approximately from May 2022 to November 2023) all the GlobalG.A.P. requirements and applied for the certification audit, TCA will cover up to 80% of the total cost of the audit (the GlobalG.A.P. certification) in foreign currency by paying directly to an international certification body. The remaining 20% of the audit (certification) cost shall be paid to a certification body by a company.

Note to all bidders:

All companies that apply for participation in the contest in a timely manner, regardless of whether they are selected as winners, will receive free access to unique training course (to be held in June or July 2022) on good agricultural practices (G.A.P.) to raise awareness of the GlobalG.A.P. requirements.

After the implementation of all the standard requirements and the successful GlobalG.A.P. certification, companies will be able to ensure improved quality and food safety of their produce, conduct business in accordance with international standards of corporate social responsibility, create better work conditions (health/safety) for their employees, while demonstrating a greater commitment to environmental protection. As a result, these companies will be able to enhance their competitiveness in international markets, including the premium markets of the European Union and the Middle East, while earning hard currency.

At the second stage of this initiative (approximately from May 2023 to February 2024), the companies that have successfully implemented all the requirements of the standard and/or have already received the GlobalG.A.P. certification will get further advisory assistance in a form of export coaching, training on the methodology for finding potential customers in foreign markets, as well as receive partial coverage of the cost for certain commercial services for the promotion of their export products (export consulting, marketing, etc.) from qualified service providers.

The application can be filled out online by clicking here.

The deadline for applying is May 20, 2022, 18:00. The winners (no more than three companies) of the contest will be selected and informed by the end of June 2022.

Should you have any questions, please call +99365 687965 or email us at tca_exportsupport@dai.com

Selection Criteria
(successful applicants shall meet the following criteria)
1. The company shall be established no later than 2018
2. Have a private form of ownership
3. Be a member of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan
4. Have the following dimensions of the land plot: if a crop to be certified is grown in a protected ground (greenhouse), its total production area shall be at least 5 hectares (with a minimum annual production capacity of 600-800 tons). If a crop is produced in an open ground, then the sown area shall be at least 20 hectares
5. Have experience in exporting of fresh fruits and vegetables (including a good understanding of all export procedures and requirements applied in Turkmenistan)
6. The company management shall be interested in diversifying export supplies to the premium markets of the EU, the Middle East, South-East Asia, etc.
7. Have an agronomist and a sales/marketing department fluent in English and Russian languages. (a proof of key personnel availability will be required)
8. Committed to apply water-saving (ex. drip, sprinkler irrigation) and/or energy efficient technologies on a production site
9. One of the company's employees (preferably, a Russian-speaking agronomist or a production manager) shall be trained by GLOBALG.A.P. after submitting their application (training duration is around 2 days)
10. Have sufficient financial resources to hire a registered GLOBALG.A.P. trainer from Turkmenistan (conclude a service agreement for the provision of consulting services), who will advise at every stage of the GLOBALG.A.P. implementation and be committed to rectify all identified nonconformities for the successful GLOBALG.A.P. certification.

Contact details of registered trainers can be found in the database on the GLOBALG.A.P website at the following link by entering the keyword "Turkmenistan" in the search bar.