USDA/FAS is requesting the design and delivery of a training program for marketing U.S. soy for eight (8) mid- to senior-level private sector actors from Uzbekistan’s leading firms involved with importing and processing soy. Participants are expected to include 1-2 members (Senior Leader and Senior Technical Staff) from Uzbekistan’s Fat & Oil Association (Assotsiasiya Uzyog'moysanoat) and 6-7 technical and senior staff from Uzbek soy importers. The program’s purpose is to promote U.S. soy exports to Uzbekistan, and the goal is to make America more prosperous by increasing U.S. soy exports to Uzbekistan. The training program is envisioned as being 1-2 consecutive weeks in duration. The host institution shall propose the place(s) of performance. USDA/FAS will be entirely responsible for the recruitment of the participants, and the participants will be selected after the close of this Notice of Funding Opportunity.
The recipient should include plans to facilitate introductions to U.S. businesses / cooperators, including but not necessarily limited to WISHH.
The applicant shall ensure that participants develop competencies in the following areas:
1. Understanding U.S. Food Safety Laws and Regulations
i. U.S. high-quality soybean procurement, storage, and processing.
ii. Risk management policies, protocols, and techniques for soybean trading and processing.
iii. U.S. food safety policies for soybeans and animal feed.
2. Understanding Trade
i. U.S. inspection and regulatory mechanisms that oversee soy exports to demonstrate the robustness of the U.S. food safety, sanitary, and phytosanitary measures.
3. U.S. Soy Industry Overview, including real-world examples
i. The quality and versatility of U.S. soy, including the different processing streams (such as soybean meal, etc.) used for feed production.
ii. Scalability in the context of U.S. feed operations as Uzbekistan has established and growing markets for soybean-based feeds.
iii. The U.S. feed industry’s standards and best practices for utilizing soy to ensure a high quality of feed across animal feed sectors.
iv. Soy planting, harvest, and post-harvest technology (storage).
v. Soybean processing methods.
vi. Nutrition and health benefits of soy as a feed ingredient.
vii. Safety of U.S. soy.
viii. Quality parameters and quality control measurements of soybean.
ix. Certificates of origin and health (traceability).
Country Overview:
Uzbekistan is investing in modern poultry, dairy, and aquaculture sectors that require high-protein feeds—creating a natural market for U.S. soy. Uzbek firms are seeking high-quality feed inputs, like U.S. soy, to improve productivity in the poultry, dairy, and aquaculture sectors. Uzbekistan has soy processing facilities, including many crushing plants and extruders for full-fat, and is interested in upgrading them for soymeal, full-fat soy, and soy oil production. The Government of Uzbekistan supports feed industry modernization through import-friendly policies, including tariff cuts and open procurement frameworks. There is no ban on biotech agricultural imports (U.S. genetically engineered soy has entered Uzbekistan without regulatory pushback, and the government is open to biotech dialogue).