From May 22-31, we spearheaded a series of comprehensive trainings in Bishkek, focusing on food safety and certification for the Bai Elim Company LLC. These trainings were part of our broader initiative to support enterprises in their efforts to integrate robust certification systems.

The sessions were designed to elevate the company’s understanding of international certification scheme requirements and to underscore the advantages of adopting such schemes, covering key aspects of primary certification schemes and their alignment with international standards. Our certified expert from GOPA AFC, Almaz Davletov, led these training sessions.

With his extensive experience in the assessment, development, and integration of certification systems in the food production sector, Almaz was able to engage the participants, sparking great interest and motivation. With this newly acquired knowledge, Bai Elim Company is now better equipped to effectively navigate the process of certification scheme integration, enhancing their food safety measures.

Recently, we held a training session on planting pepper in Nizhne-Chuy village, Kyrgyzstan; a collaborative effort between our project experts and the “TES-Center” Consulting Company.

Fifteen project farmers participated, learning about innovative pepper planting technologies, soil preparation, the use of standard fertilizers, drip irrigation systems, and seedlings planting and treatment techniques.

The session, which highlighted the benefits of a new two-line planting scheme and protection methods against sunburn effects, was well-received as farmers recognized its value for sweet pepper cultivation.

The agricultural season in Kyrgyzstan’s sweet pepper fields is progressing actively. For support, our “Value Chain Agro Finance” project, in collaboration with Tes-Center Consulting Company, has initiated a series of agricultural monitoring sessions in the Nizhne-Chuy and Ak-Bashat villages.

These sessions, which kicked off from May 25-27, are designed to refine the agronomic practices of farmers and examine the preparation of soil for effective use of planting schemes and phosphorus fertilizers. Our team of project experts conducted meticulous inspections of the pepper seedlings in greenhouses, looking for any signs of diseases and crop pests.

The monitoring activities have proven quite beneficial for the farmers. They are now equipped with advanced preventive measures for plant treatment and have broadened their understanding of the best agricultural technologies. This knowledge is expected to significantly enhance their pepper cultivation practices.

We’re thrilled to share a successful field day held in the Aral village of the Jalal-Abad region, Kyrgyzstan, on May 17, 2024.
Organized in collaboration with our project partner, the agricultural consulting company “TES-Center”, the event aimed to equip Jalal-Abad oblast farmers with productive methods and technologies for cultivating and strengthening early onion value chain amid climate change.
The event was graced with the presence of onion farmers, agricultural machinery, seeds and inputs service providers, Ishenbekov Taalaybek – the akim of Nooken district, district administration specialists, and our project’s experts.

The day was filled with insightful presentations on early onion cultivation technologies, interactive discussions, and shared information about “Aral Elim” cooperative’s activities, improved onion cultivation agro-technologies, and the economic analysis of onion breeding using advanced technologies.

We want to share insights from a significant event that took place on May 14-15, 2024: Our team facilitated cooperative meetings between the representatives of HZPC, a Dutch leader in seed potato breeding, our international and national project experts, and our project partner, “Tes-center”.

These meetings focused on discussing the quality assurance of potato seeds and the growth potential of potato production in Kyrgyzstan. A highlight of the event was a visit to the cooperative farm “Zhar-Bashy”, where participants inspected “super-elite” category seed potato crops and interacted with cooperative members. Further discussions with district administration representatives explored the future of seed production development.

The HZPC delegation, together with our project experts, also evaluated storage facilities for their suitability for storing potato seeds. With these activities, we’re paving the way for new opportunities to enhance the cultivation and quality of seed potatoes in the region, and exploring potential for expanding exports to neighboring countries.

Our Value Chain Agro Finance project is working with farmer groups to integrate advanced agricultural technologies for the spring fieldwork season. From 20-25 April, along with our partner “TES Center” we conducted practical trainings and consultations focused on cultivating sugar beet and sweet pepper.

Over 100 farmers from Chui Oblast, Kyrgyzstan, expanded their knowledge on subjects like “Sweet pepper cultivation”, “Seedling condition monitoring”, and “Sugar beet germination monitoring”.

Our experts also shared seedling cultivation technologies and effective weed control methods. In addition, on 8 May, we held a practical counseling session for beet growers.

The session included discussions and demonstrations on mineral fertilizing technologies and weed control in sugar beet cultivation. As a result, 15 more beet farmers are ready to implement these practices.

The “Value Chain Agro Finance” Project in Kyrgyzstan, co-financed by the European Union, the European Investment Bank, and the German Development Bank (KfW), along with technical assistance for producers and processors of agri-food products, supports public laboratories in expanding the scope of accreditation for food indicators. Project support to laboratories includes the transfer of “know-how” through training and professional development of personnel, provision of necessary equipment, and rehabilitation works ensuring the expansion of the accreditation area. The funding source for equipment, rehabilitation works, and “know-how” transfer activities is provided from the European Union IFCA grant for Kyrgyzstan. The Authorized Ministry for the Project implementation is the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic.

To identify the priority areas of technical assistance and effective Project cooperation with the laboratory of the Department of Disease Prevention and State Sanitary and Epidemiological Control under the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, a working meeting of the Project experts with the management and specialists of the laboratory testing center was held on 13 February 2024. The Deputy Minister of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic, Ruslan Tatikov, took part in the meeting, familiarizing himself with the activities of the Department’s laboratory and participating in discussions on issues such as the need for rehabilitation (renovation) works, equipment, and support for the transfer of “know-how.” The meeting also addressed ensuring effective interaction between the laboratory testing center management, the Project, and the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic to timely achieve the set objectives for extending the accreditation scope, defining ways of efficient cooperation to achieve objectives on quality and food safety indicators.

Note:
“The “Value Chain Agro Finance” Project in Kyrgyzstan was officially launched on April 25, 2023.
The project provides support to farmers and processing enterprises of value chain participants in implementing new advanced technologies for agricultural production and processing, introducing international standards of product quality, and gaining access to long-term agricultural investment loans in the national currency.

The total project budget is EUR 37 million and is provided by the European Union, the European Investment Bank, and the German Development Bank (KfW).

The “Value Chain Agro Finance Project” in Kyrgyzstan, co-financed by the European Union, European Investment Bank and German Development Bank KFW, within the framework of its activities provides support to the state laboratories to extend the scope of accreditation of food testing parameters both by training and provision of necessary laboratory equipment with financing from the European Union IFCA grant.

As part of these activities the working meeting of the project experts with the management and the specialists of the Center for Veterinary Expertise took place on February 9, 2024, during which the priority areas of the Project assistance to the laboratory for extension the accreditation scope and ways of efficient cooperation to achieve the objectives have been defined. At this work meeting the Project Manager of the Delegation of the European Union in the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. Bakyt Aituganov took part, who was acquainted with the Center’s activities and involved in the discussion of the EU rules on financing of laboratory equipment and the provision of requested expertise.

On January 14, the workshop “Standards and certification schemes” was held in Tokmok city.

An introductory workshop on international standards and certification schemes for food quality and safety, such as ISO 9001, ISO 22000, GLOBAL GAP, Good Aquaculture Practices, EU ORGANIC and FAIRTRADE, was held within the framework of the Value Chain Agro Finance project in Kyrgyzstan.
The workshop aimed to familiarize enterprises’ representatives – members of the Association of Fishery Producers of Kyrgyzstan – with international quality standards, their implementation and to help them select reasonable and appropriate standards. The participants were further provided information about the Project activities, e.g. about the promotion of enterprises’ certification, selection criteria and ways to obtain technical assistance on implementation of food safety and quality standards and certification schemes.

The workshop was held in Tokmok and was attended by representatives of six fisheries of Chui region. It included an in-depth discussion on the implementation of international standards at the stages of incubation, growing and processing of fish, to facilitate further export of fish products.

“At this seminar we received a lot of useful information about food safety standards and their implementation as well as learned more about the proposed certification possibilities of enterprises. It was a good seminar, in the future we plan to use the information received in the development of our business”, said Kalys Zhumabaev, who participated in the seminar and works for “Asia Plus” company.

The Project plans to organize similar seminars for food producers on the certification of enterprises according to international standards in order to increase their export potential in the sector.

Note: The Value Chain Agro Finance Project in Kyrgyzstan was launched on April 25, 2023 and provides support to farmers and value chain actors to introduce new advanced technologies for the production and processing of agricultural products, to introduce international quality standards for products, and to access long-term agricultural investment loans in local currency.

The Project’s budget is EUR 37 million and the Project is co-financed by the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the German Development Bank (KfW).

The Value Chain Agro Finance Project is implemented by the German consulting company GOPA AFC (in consortium with the CAIConsulting) with the support and participation of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic.