Ashgabat, December 8, 2014 – On December 5 and 6, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Agriculture Technology Program conducted a two-day conference on livestock sector development in the Avaza National Touristic Zone of Turkmenbashy. Dr. Thomas Graham, the CEO of Veterinarians Without Borders, and Dr. Bonnie van Blarcom, an  international expert on the World Trade Organization (WTO), presented international best practices in the areas of livestock genetics, effective breeding and veterinary care, and livestock sector management and development. They also discussed WTO standards for the livestock sector and the potential benefits of international trade in livestock.

Funded by USAID and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture, the conference complements previous USAID-sponsored activities, training seminars, and round table discussions related to livestock sector development, and aims to assist Turkmenistan in maximizing meat and dairy production. Participants included specialists from the State Livestock Union, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Food Industry Union, the State Veterinary Service, the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Academy of Sciences, and the administration of the Balkan province.