Agricultural Produce - The Times Of Central Asia

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Farmers’ Support Centers Open in Kyrgyzstan

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.

Grain export Agricultural Produce harvest Agricultural Export Grain Agriculture

Kazakhstan Begins Export of New Harvest Grain

Kazakhstan has begun exporting grain from the new harvest, which totaled 26.6 million tons this year, 56% higher than in 2023. In September-October, Kazakhstan’s national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), transported 1.8 million tons of grain for export, 48% more than in the same period last year (1.2 million tons). During the two months, grain exports to Uzbekistan amounted to 738,000 tons (49% more than in September-October 2023), and 298,000 tons were shipped to Tajikistan (a 48% increase). Increasing grain exports were also reported to China, Afghanistan, Iran, and Kyrgyzstan. The Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture expects a significant increase in grain exports in the first half of 2025. According to KTZ, Afghanistan is ready to import about 200,000 tons of Kazakh grain, which will be transported via Turkmenistan. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Kazakhstan plans to export about 12 million tons of the new harvest grain to traditional markets—Central Asia and Afghanistan—and new ones, such as Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, and Malaysia. Uzbekistan remains the primary importer of Kazakh grain, followed by Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and China.

Local Economy Food industry Agricultural Produce Almaty Organic food Agriculture

Kazakhstan Develops Program to Revive Famous Aport Apple Variety

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with the National Agrarian Scientific and Educational Center have launched a program to revive the legendary Kazakh apple variety - aport. Aport is a capricious variety that requires special cultivation conditions. Quality apples can only be produced in orchards growing 850-1,250 meters above sea level. There are few such areas in the foothills of Almaty and the nearby region. Unlike other apple varieties, which begin to bear fruit in 4-6 years, aport needs 8-9 years to give a first harvest. Nevertheless, aport apples, distinguished by their large size, distinct smell, and succulent nature, are in great demand. The aport revival program, designed for 2024-2028, involves private investors and specialized nurseries. The program will grow the required number of saplings to begin the full-scale commercial cultivation of apple orchards. In the first stage, in 2024, the seeds of the Sievers apple tree were collected, and the development of national standards for growing Kazakhstan's aport began. In 2025, seedlings will be planted on ten hectares to become a mother garden supplying saplings for nurseries. During the next two years, it is planned to grow a sufficient number of saplings to plant an orchard on 100 hectares. Later, aport saplings will be offered to private gardeners for commercial cultivation. In 1970, there were 3.8 million aport trees in Kazakhstan, but by 1984, only 1.4 million remained. In 2012, scientific research began on the revival and rejuvenation of the variety, including establishing an experimental garden of aport grafted onto Sievers apple trees. In 2023, Kazakh scholars harvested the first large fruits weighing 400-500 g. Kazakhstan is the birthplace of apples — particularly the famous aport apples, which grow in the Almaty region. Translated from Kazakh, Almaty roughly means “place of abundance of apples.” One of Almaty's main landmarks, the first sight to greet visitors to Mount Kok-Tobe, which looms over the city, is a granite statue of an apple with water gushing from its core.

Grain export Agriculture Economy Wheat export Agricultural Produce

Kazakhstan to Increase Grain and Wheat Exports

According to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture, Aidarbek Saparov, 16.7 million hectares of cereals were sown in Kazakhstan this year. Harvesting is 99.7% complete, and 26.5 million tons of grain have been threshed. Kazakhstan plans to export about 12 million tons of the new harvest to traditional markets—the countries of Central Asia and Afghanistan—and new ones, such as Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, and Malaysia. At a government meeting on October 23, Deputy Minister of Trade and Integration Kairat Torebayev reported that Kazakhstan's export potential for cereals is estimated at 12 million tons, including 7-7.5 million tons of wheat, 1.4 million tons of barley, and 300,000 tons of corn.Torebayev stated that in 2023, Kazakhstan exported 1.43 million tons of cereals to China, marking a 5.5-fold increase over the previous year. Wheat exports alone surged to 538,800 tons, representing nearly a 15-fold increase compared to 2022. Torebayev said Kazakhstan could increase its wheat exports to China and other Asian countries to 1.6 million tons, adding that its export potential to Turkey and Middle Eastern countries is almost 1 million tons. Preliminary agreements have been reached on the export of 600,000 tons of wheat to Armenia and 1 million tons to Italy. Negotiations on exporting 200,000 tons of grain to North African countries are underway. According to APK-Inform, in the 2022/23 grain season, Kazakhstan exported more than 7.3 million tons of wheat, a record-high volume for the last few seasons. Uzbekistan remained the primary importer of Kazakh grain, followed by Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and China. In 2022, Kazakhstan's wheat exports totaled $1.91 billion, making it the 11th largest wheat exporter globally.

Agricultural Produce Healthcare Agriculture Biotechnology

Chinese Company to Build FMD Vaccine Production Plant in Kyrgyzstan

China’s Yangling Jinhai Biotechnology Co., Ltd. plans to build a plant in Kyrgyzstan to produce foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines, according to the country’s Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry. The announcement followed a meeting between Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, Bakyt Torobaev, and a delegation from the Chinese company. The project includes the entire production cycle, from raising and fattening livestock to vaccination and slaughtering. Yangling Jinhai Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is ready to invest in plant construction, transfer advanced technologies, and train local specialists. The parties agreed to establish a working group to implement the project. According to the World Organization for Animal Health,FMD is a severe and highly contagious viral livestock disease with a significant economic impact. It is a transboundary animal disease that profoundly affects livestock production and disrupts regional and international trade in animals and animal products. The parties emphasized the project's importance for strengthening Kyrgyzstan’s veterinary security, as domestically produced vaccines would significantly reduce the spread of infectious diseases among farm animals. Kyrgyzstan is an agricultural country, and livestock farming is the country's primary source of income for its rural population. In September 2024, the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry reported that Kyrgyzstan had 1,802,299 head of cattle (cows), 542,527 horses, 6,216,125 sheep and goats, 6,988,968 poultry, and 29,676 pigs.

Agriculture Agricultural Export Agricultural Produce Agricultural Import

Kazakhstan Bans Apple Imports to Support Domestic Producers

The government of Kazakhstan has temporarily banned the import of apples into the country by motor transport until the end of the year. The decision to introduce the ban was made and announced late in August, but the ban took effect on October 8. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the ban will last during harvest to support domestic apple production. The move will allow domestic gardeners to sell apples at reasonable prices. During the off-season, apple imports will not be restricted. The government of Kazakhstan has taken support measures in the form of subsidies and preferential loans to develop domestic apple production. As a result, over the past five years, the domestic supply of apples has increased from 62.9% in 2019 to 80% in 2023. At the same time, local farmers are experiencing dumping from foreign producers. High competition with imported products reduces the profitability of domestic producers. With the parallel import of apples during harvest, Kazakhstanis need help selling their products. From January to July 2024, Kazakhstan imported about 107,000 tons of apples, 58% more than in the same period in 2023, from Poland, Iran, Uzbekistan, and China. During that period, apple imports from China increased 18-fold and from Iran — sevenfold. The ban does not apply to imports from fellow members of the Eurasian Economic Union—Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia—or to the international transit of apples through Kazakhstan's territory. Kazakhstan is the birthplace of apples — particularly the famous aport apples, which grow in the Almaty region. Translated from Kazakh, Almaty means “place of abundance of apples.”