Despite Official Optimism, Southern Kyrgyzstan Struggles with Food Shortages
Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, Bakyt Torobaev, has reported steady growth in both agricultural output and the processing industry. Speaking at a briefing in Bishkek, Torobaev stated that agricultural production in the first half of 2025 reached $1.3 billion, $160 million more than in the same period last year, representing an annual growth rate of nearly 4%. The processing sector also showed gains, with output valued at $556 million in the first six months of the year. Torobaev added that the population was “provided with six basic foodstuffs: milk, meat, potatoes, vegetables, sugar, and eggs.” However, figures from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) paint a less optimistic picture. The agency’s research indicates that 8% of Kyrgyzstan’s population faces food shortages, while 53% have access only to the minimum required food supply. According to a WFP report, most households (74%) rely on negative coping strategies, such as depleting savings, borrowing money, and cutting expenditures on education and healthcare to meet their food and other basic needs. Additionally, 10% of the population reported a decline in income over the past year, with an average reduction of 37%. The WFP stated that the Jalal-Abad and Osh regions, both in the more densely populated south, account for nearly half of all citizens experiencing food shortages. High poverty levels in these areas, as well as in Batken, reflect the country’s highest rates of economic and food insecurity. The WFP supports vulnerable households through research, targeted material aid, and community programs aimed at building a sustainable food system. Assistance includes fortified wheat flour, vegetable oil, and cash transfers to low-income families participating in community development or human capital projects. The agency also supplies wheat flour to schools to improve nutrition for students in grades 1-4.
