Kyrgyzstan has opened city support centers for farmers to get up-to-date information from agricultural specialists, from how to plant seeds to how to get subsidies. Experts say that Kyrgyz farmers are often unable to use modern technology, which increases production costs.
Five centers have been opened across the country. The project’s primary goal is to create an information platform for farmers. The most common questions are what products are best to produce in specific areas, what seeds are needed, and how best to market finished products. Farmers are also interested in leasing agricultural equipment and obtaining loans from state banks.
Mirkasym Alakhveranov, a long-time farmer and owner of a beet farm in Chui region, told The Times of Central Asia about the problems of Kyrgyz farmers.
“We need farmer schools or advisory centers. Not everyone is ready to grow food according to all the rules. Besides, something new is emerging daily: science is moving forward, mechanization is improving, and chemistry is improving. And the country needs specialists who would follow all this and could explain it to the peasant,” Alakhveranov said.
He said many non-professionals in Kyrgyz agriculture today need more knowledge. However, they desire to improve farming. In addition, farmers need more technical knowledge: most need to understand modern equipment.
“There is a lack of modern agricultural machinery; farmers suffer losses. They cannot pay the loan for leasing, so they go bankrupt. Most companies selling special equipment do not train buyers to work with the equipment. We need to teach young people how to use modern machines, so they learn to use them confidently,” Alakhveranov said.
Another problem plaguing Kyrgyzstan’s agricultural sector is small-scale farming. Importers from Russia and Kazakhstan, where most agricultural products go, need large volumes of goods. The new support centers could raise awareness of Alakhveranov’s beliefs on this issue and persuade farmers to join cooperatives.
