ELENA TIMCHENKO IS FW NEW STAFF MEMBER

Elena Igorevna Timchenko is FoodWorks' latest staff member. 'Lena is Russian/Jewish with citizenship in Uzbekistan. She is a linguist (specialized in English Philology) and has spent a year studying in the USA (in Dewitt, Arkansas), she also has a background in hotel management with the Sheraton Hotel in Tashkent. Lena joins FW via our local Tashkent affiliate UBI Consulting as a Project Assistant. She is currently working on ADB TA No. 4217 "Furthering Reforms of the Grains Sector" and will also be working on food sector studies in Pakistan in 2007

COMPETITIVENESS SUPPORT FUND (CSF) PAKISTAN

FoodWorks has started work as Agro-processing and Food Sector Advisor to the CSF in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Fund is established under the auspices of the federal Ministry Of Finance and USAID at over $20 million of start-up capital. The money is to be spent via three windows on Technical Assistance, Matching Grants and Business Incubation for SMEs. Chairman of CSF is Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Omar Ayub Khan and the Fund's Director is Mr.Arthur Bayhan. CSF prime objective is to increase the competitiveness of Pakistan against World Economic Forum benchmarks. Geoff Quaretrmaine Bastin is travelling extensively throughout Pakistan to develop a policy-specific report on the food industry that will be implemented at Federal/Presidential level. The study will be completed in early february 2007. For more information on the CSF check out the website at http://www.competitiveness.org.pk

BIO WORKS CO.LTD.

FoodWorks is partnered with Bio Works Co. Ltd in an arrangement whereby FW provides economic and financial analysis of projects while Bio Works provides expert services in science and technology. Bio-Works Co. Ltd, in collaboration with Inovata AB, produces chromatographic separation media in Sweden that are basic tools for lifesciences, food and beverage industries and the environment. Via its current work for the Competitive Suppport Fund (CSF) in Pakistan, FoodWorks has established a working relationship with the Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) and the Pakistan National Commission on Biotechnology. Possible projects include production of whey protein isolates, the use of ultra filtration in the juicing industry and the production of health food supplements. All are being considered under the work for CSF.

CONSULTING IN CENTRAL ASIA

with FoodWorks Company Limited

FoodWorks and UBI Consulting are affiliated companies specializing in a range of consulting services targeted to the Central Asian and Former Soviet Union countries. In particular we are working in Afghanistan, Kazakstan, Kyrghyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

UBI Consulting LLC is an Uzbek professional group providing services to customers across the public and private spectrum. The company was established in response to the increasing rate of change in international development in Uzbekistan and other countries of Central Asia. UBI specializes in strategic studies, feasibility studies, and evaluation activities and project experience. The goal of UBI Consulting is to provide quality value added services and products through prompt, innovative, client oriented approaches with experienced technical staff and time tested partnerships with peers and clients. Also UBI Consulting provides advisory services to engineering and consulting companies in their acquisition of projects funded by the International Financial Institutions. For more information on UBI contact Jamshid Ganiev on jamshid_ganiev@ubi.uz or look at our website at http://ubi.uz/index.htm

TA 4217 TEAM IN QUYI CHIRCHIK

Our TA team recently visited the Regional Business Advisory Centre in Quyi Chirchik district about 50 km from Tashkent and provided training in IT, accounts and access to legal services. We also conducted an appraisal of a 30 hectare demonstration farm that is based on zero-till cultivation previously not used in Uzbekistan. This is part of the on-going assistance being provided by the ADB's Grains Productivity Improvement Project that includes reform of the grains sector.

LECTURE AT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL TASHKENT

Geoffrey Quartermaine Bastin with FoodWorks associate Jamshid Ganiev, Managing Director of UBI Consulting lecture on international consulting at "Kelajak Ilmi" International Business School in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 18th October. IBS has a relationship with the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan Business School in Ann Arbor. We were invited by Ms. Mila Eschonova, Executive Director. The lecture focused around different approaches to public and private sector consulting services. It was attended by about thirty 3rd and 4th year students. More information on IBS at http://www.ibs.uz/

Pakistan: Comparative Advantage Study of the Food Processing Sector for the Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF)

The Competitveness Support Fund (CSF) has been set-up with the sponsorship/ financial assistance of USAID and the Ministry of Finance. It undertakes studies to determine the existing competitiveness of selected industrial sectors and to make policy recommendations to the highest level of the Government. The primary objective of the Study to be undertaken by FoodWorks in November ‘06 thru January 2007 is to evaluate the competitive advantage of the food processing industry and its opportunities for growth along with identification of the problems/obstacles faced by the sector. Food processing is the largest industry in Pakistan and it continues to grow as the use of processed food becomes popular especially in the cities. The list of sub-sectors includes beverages, dairy, fruits and vegetables, snack foods and cereal-based foods (wheat and rice), meat, confectionery and vegetable oil (including vegetable ghee).

Our project office in Tashkent

Our project is with ANZDEC of New Zealand and UBI Consulting for the Asian Development Bank (TA No. 4217-UZB). In 2000-01 Bastin helped design a $40 million loan project for the grains industry focused on wheat productivity improvement. His current work in 2006 is a Technical Assistance project to continue the furthering of reforms in the sector with a special focus on farm machinery and seeds. From a base in Tashkent the TA works in three focus areas up-country. The work program runs to December 2006. Bastin is the Team Leader managing a group of international and local specialists.

Wheat harvesting near Zomin, Djizzak, Uzbekistan

Our ADB Technical Assistance project has evaluated the financing, procurement and operation of 49 "Dominator 130"-type combine harvesters (manufactured by the CLAAS company of Germany) in three focus areas in central Uzbekistan. The evaluation included financing methods, ownership structures, the logistics of the harvest, technical operation of the harvesters themselves and the financial impact on those farmers and service enterprises borrowing to purchase the machines.