Field Monitoring of Strawberry Farms Conducted in Batken Region

On 14 July 2026, field monitoring was conducted at strawberry farms in Kadamzhai District, Batken Region, as part of the strawberry agricultural scheme under the Value Chain Agro Finance project.

The visit aimed to assess the results of the agricultural scheme and visit farmers engaged in strawberry production. The strawberry scheme was launched in February 2026 and covered 40 berry farmers in Batken Region. Tес Центр, the scheme implementer, provided farmers with production inputs, including fertilizers, through credit financing, as well as advisory support.

During the monitoring visit, project experts Elvira Suvanova and Sherzod Abdurakhmanov visited four strawberry farmers in Orukzar village, Turpak ayil okmotu. The four farms represented 10% of the farmers covered by the scheme.

The monitoring showed that farmers mainly grow Italian strawberry varieties, including Alba, Clery and Asia. The production season runs from February to the end of May. As strawberries are an early crop, harvesting begins in early April, when market prices are at their highest. Prices can reach 650 KGS per kilogram in early April and around 250 KGS per kilogram in May, with the average selling price ranging from 220 to 350 KGS per kilogram.

The average yield among the visited farms was around 24 tonnes per hectare, with some farmers achieving up to 30 tonnes per hectare. Production costs averaged between 1.2 and 1.8 million KGS per hectare, while income reached approximately 7-9 million KGS per hectare.

Strawberry seedlings also provide farmers with an additional source of income. After the harvest season, farmers begin preparing seedlings in July. On average, around 1 million seedlings can be produced per hectare. More than 70% are sold at 12-15 KGS per seedling, while the remaining seedlings are used for planting on farmers’ own fields.

Strawberry production also contributes to seasonal employment in rural areas. Farmers hire seasonal workers, mainly women and young people, for field activities. Depending on the farm size, 40-80 seasonal workers can be engaged per hectare, with an average daily payment of 1,200 KGS.

All visited farms use drip irrigation systems and apply mineral fertilizers, including NPK. Farmers also highlighted the importance of regular advisory services on plant protection and fertilizer application.

An important result of the monitoring was the active use of advisory support. Field consultant and farmer Baktybek Nasibaliev provided consultations to around 20 farmers and conducted two training sessions on plant protection and fertilizer application. Other visited farmers also regularly received advice from the field consultant.

The field monitoring demonstrated the strong economic potential of strawberry production in Batken Region. Combining financial support, access to production inputs and advisory services enables farmers to improve production efficiency, increase income and create seasonal employment opportunities for local communities.