ASHGABAT (TCA) — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan on March 14 inaugurated and officially opened Hil Standart’s Microbiology Laboratory, the first private sector food safety laboratory in Turkmenistan, the US Embassy in Ashgabat said in a press release.
With support from the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, USAID and Hil Standart worked together to determine the market demand for testing services and then procure state-of-the-art lab equipment from leading international manufacturers.
The Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and Hil Standart invested significant resources to renovate the space, provide furniture and operationalize the laboratory. USAID, which helped purchase modern lab equipment and provided training, will work with Hil Standart to obtain internationally recognized accreditation for the lab.
The new microbiology lab will perform commercial food testing services for domestic producers and exporters. The availability of these testing services supports the growing horticulture export industry by helping exporters meet certification requirements of key foreign markets.
The Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and USAID developed the lab through USAID’s Competiveness, Trade and Jobs activity, a five-year project that facilitates exports and employment in horticulture and strengthens transport and logistics services across the five Central Asian economies.
