Tajik entrepreneur invested in an oil pressing machine to reach higher performance and productivity

Mr. Zafar Vakhobov is an individual entrepreneur from the Sughd Region of Tajikistan. After working in the Russian Federation after his graduation, he decided to return home and set up his own business. The company was established in 2014, in the Mastchoh district, Obburdon Jamoat and is producing a cottonseed oil. The company has currently 15 workers in total, including his wife.

Mr. Vakhobov has extensive experience in cotton oil production and was looking to modernise the outdated equipment. He started to analyse available equipment on the market and make assessments of the potential energy savings and decided to invest in a new high-performance technology. Mr. Vakhobov applied to one of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) partner banks for a GEFF loan, and after obtaining financing bought 4 screw oil pressing machines YZYX-130 from China. The total investment amounted to 30,987 US Dollars. The outdated production line had multiple manual processes and consumed a large amount of electricity. The new screw oil pressing machine enabled the company to reduce its energy consumption by 240 GJ per year. While lowering energy, labour and operational costs, it has also increased performance and profitability. During this period, his company’s revenues grew by 20%.

The availability of the European Union (EU) investment incentive of 20% makes financing more accessible to farmers and agribusinesses like Mr. Vakhobov.

“Cottonseed oil is one of the important multi-purpose oil varieties and production of cottonseed oil is widespread throughout the world. Due to pandemic-related factors, the imported volume of cottonseed oil declined which increased the demand and therefore price for this product. This makes oil processing a very promising and profitable industry to invest in. I am trying my best to expand my business and become a market leader in processing cotton seeds in my region.” said Mr. Zafar Vakhobov.

GEFF Tajikistan is supported by the European Union, the Green Climate Fund and South Korea.

GEFF Tajikistan [Agricultural Value Chains] helps Tajik farmers and agribusinesses adopt technology solutions that can enhance competitiveness of the agricultural value chains.