Kyrgyzstan has launched construction of a facility to manufacture concrete canvas, a flexible, cement-based material designed to line irrigation canals, reduce water loss, and prevent erosion. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 10.
According to the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, the €20 million project is a joint initiative between the Kyrgyz government and UK-based Concrete Canvas Ltd.
The plant’s first production line, scheduled for commissioning in 2027, will have an annual capacity of 7 million square meters of concrete canvas. A second line with the same capacity is planned to come online five years later. Sixty percent of the output will be allocated for domestic use, with the remaining 40% destined for export.
The project is part of a broader national strategy to modernize Kyrgyzstan’s aging irrigation infrastructure amid increasing water shortages.
At the launch event, Minister Bakyt Torobayev emphasized the project’s strategic importance. “Thanks to this plant, Kyrgyzstan will reduce its reliance on imports, create jobs, and open new export channels,” he said. “The country has over 30,000 kilometers of irrigation canals, 19,000 km of which are unsurfaced and 11,000 km in need of major repairs. Our goal is to upgrade the irrigation system, reduce water losses, and bring nearly 37,000 hectares of new irrigated land into cultivation.”
Torobayev added that the use of concrete canvas could extend the service life of canals to between 50 and 100 years, speed up the construction of new systems, and contribute to greater food security by ensuring stable water access for farmers.
By 2030, Kyrgyzstan aims to expand its irrigated farmland by 36,900 hectares. The country currently has approximately 1.023 million hectares of irrigated agricultural land.
