FAPC-OSU faculty member helps Tajikistan residents through Farmer-to-Farmer program
By Kylee Willard
FAPC Communications Services Graduate Assistant
(Stillwater, Okla. – July 26, 2011) An Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center faculty member completed a successful trip to Central Asia participating in a volunteer assignment with the Farmer-to-Farmer program.
Dr. Tim Bowser, FAPC food process engineer and OSU biosystems and agricultural engineering associate professor, traveled to Tajikistan to provide assistance to residents of the country.
“I truly enjoyed helping to improve lives of farmers and agribusinesses in Tajikistan,” Bowser said. “An opportunity such as this is second-to-none.”
During the international assignment, Bowser provided support to Oila Company, a small food processor located in the village of Dendiston in the Khatlon region of Tajikistan. Oila primarily cans fruit and vegetable products including jams, pickles and juices for sale locally and is the only processor in the region.
“My goal was to use knowledge gained through my profession and industry experience in the United States and introduce successful practices to residents of Tajikistan,” he said.
Through an application process, Bowser was selected to participate in the Farmer-to-Farmer program by CNFA, a private, not-for-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.
“CFNA’s long-term projects seek to develop private farmer associations, cooperatives, private agribusiness, women’s groups and other organizations that help farmers and agribusinesses increase their incomes and well-being,” Bowser said. “CNFA employs a value chain approach to agricultural development, seeking to strengthen all links in the market chain, from input supply and production to post-harvest handling and value addition to marketing and sales.”
Bowser joined a list of more than 1,300 volunteers in CNFA’s Farmer-to-Farmer program since 1993. Funding for Bowser’s assignment was provided by the United States Agency for International Development.
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Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system of interdisciplinary programs that prepares students for success. As Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research, and outreach. OSU has more than 35,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 23,000 on its Stillwater campus, with students from all 50 states and 118 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 235,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.
