Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, Bakyt Torobaev, has called on domestic millers to produce at least 200,000 tons of wheat annually in a bid to reduce the country’s reliance on flour imports. His remarks came during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new flour mill in the northern Chui region.
Torobaev emphasized the need to boost local wheat production to cover at least four to five months of national flour demand each year. He also urged producers to work toward gradually lowering retail prices.
“If flour producers work closely with farmers, understand and address their challenges, the situation will improve. The Ministry of Agriculture is ready to support the sector from seed selection and soil analysis to mechanization,” he stated.
With coordinated efforts, the minister believes that the cost of domestically milled flour could become competitive with imports from Kazakhstan and Russia.
Tackling Price Volatility and Import Dependence
Due to limited domestic production, Kyrgyz flour is currently more expensive than imported alternatives. This price gap has left the country vulnerable: any disruption in imports has previously led to sharp increases in bread prices.
Nevertheless, the local milling industry has shown robust growth in 2025. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 215,000 tons of grain were processed in the first five months of the year. Once the new plant in Chui becomes operational, total national milling capacity is expected to exceed 300,000 tons annually.
Expanding Capacity and Mechanization
To support expanded production, 1,500 units of harvesting equipment have been deployed across Kyrgyzstan’s wheat-growing regions. The government has also relocated machinery from the Issyk-Kul and Naryn regions to high-output areas such as the south, Talas, and Chui. Harvesting operations are ongoing without interruption.
Official statistics show that agriculture is becoming a major engine of economic growth. In the first half of 2025, GDP grew by 11.7%, surpassing 700 billion KGS ($8 billion). The food processing industry alone contributed 50 billion KGS ($500 million) to this growth.
