OAKWOOD - The IARW (International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses) as part of the GCCA (Global Cold Chain Alliance) reached out to Lanier Tech, the official ammonia refrigeration training partner of the IARW, to assist in a visit to the U.S. by an agricultural group from Uzbekistan.
Their visit to the U.S. was sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of a program of exchanges between Uzbek and U.S. horticulturalists.
Similar exchange visits have been held in California under this exchange program with a total of 68 Uzbeks having visited U.S. counterparts in the last year and a half. Lanier Tech was among the sites targeted for the first East Coast visits under this program.
The tour group - eleven Uzbek nationals and Richard (Dick) Dowdell, Cold Storage Specialist - was composed of farmers, businessmen, and a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Management (MAWR) of the Republic of Uzbekistan. All work in, or have an interest in, the cold food supply chain.
The mission of the U.S. trip was to learn best practices in growing, harvesting, storing, transporting, and wholesaling/retailing fruits and vegetables.
Through their interpreter, the Uzbeks said that they are exactly like U.S. farmers; they want to increase yield, reduce food waste resulting from spoilage, and promote greater food safety. The group's interpreter, Sunnat Djalalov, had previously studied in the U.S. under the State Department's Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program.
A tour of Jaemor Farms, hosted by Drew Echols, was among the stops for the group while in Hall County.
Wednesday
May 28th, 2025
3:43PM
