DM Monitoring
DUSHANBE: A female agri-entrepreneur, Shamsihol Sultonova, owns a farm in the Shahritus region of Tajikistan. She grows cotton and vegetables that are well sought after on the market, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) reported on its website.
“Our products are mainly bought by wholesalers; they come, load and carry our produce for sale in the capital. It is no secret that residents of Dushanbe prefer local products,” says Ms Sultonova. Sultonova grew up in a farmer’s family and her parents helped her master the agricultural craft; now she is passing on her knowledge to her five children and 11 grandchildren. Under her watch, the family business expanded from a modest four-hectare plot of land to a 35-hectare farm.
To keep the crops nurtured and growing, 28 full-time employees work throughout the year. During peak seasons, such as the harvesting of cotton or other crops, the farm employs 60 to 70 seasonal workers, around 70 per-cent are female. Still, this is not enough to sustain the expansion of the farm.
The EBRD, European Union (EU), Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), under the Green Economy Financing Facility, support small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, such as Ms Sultonova, with their ambition to grow their businesses by making them more climate-friendly and resilient. Agriculture accounts for more than half of total employment in Tajikistan, but due to high out-migration rates of working age men, agricultural labour has become increasingly feminised.
The lack of access to financial support remains a problem encountered by farmers in Tajikistan. Female farmers face additional challenges such as limited land ownership and barriers to accessing finance and employment.
GEFF promotes green finance through awareness-raising campaigns, workshops and capacity-building initiatives, together with local partner banks. These activities promote the equal access of women and men to green finance, low-carbon technologies and entrepreneurship opportunities – Ms Sultonova is a role model to many.
