Torokul Kamalov, who grows high-yield Dutch potatoes in Chong-Alay: “Our main goal is to develop the agriculture of our country!”

In the village of Jar-Bashy, Chong-Alay district, farmer Törokul Kamalov, together with local farmers, started cultivating new varieties of seed potatoes imported from the Netherlands. Previously, they grew the “Picasso” variety and cooperated with cooperatives in Aravan and Kara-Suu districts.

 

For two consecutive years, Kamalov has been working with the Jar-Bashy agricultural cooperative, growing high-quality Dutch potato varieties such as “Super Elite,” adapting them to local conditions.

 

According to him, the climate of Chong-Alay is ideal for seed potato production. If the project develops successfully, a branch for growing Dutch potatoes may be established here in the future. Törokul shared with us more details about his work and future plans.

 

 

Hello! Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?

 

 Hello! My name is Törokul Kamalov. I was born in 1997 in the village of Jar-Bashy, Chong-Alay district, Osh region. I graduated from the local secondary school and then studied geodesy at Osh State University. However, I was unable to work in my specialty. (Geodesy is a scientific and engineering field that studies the shape, size, relief of the Earth, and the precise location of objects).

 

Since childhood, I have been involved in farming and animal husbandry, and I continue to work in this field in my village.

 

I have been cooperating for many years with the agricultural cooperative “Jar-Bashy,” where we produce seed potatoes. From the members of this cooperative, we were selected to grow new seed potato varieties imported from the Netherlands. We have been planting and cultivating these new varieties for two years now.

 

 

-Where do you get these new potato varieties from?

 

 There are companies that work with the Netherlands to import potatoes. We purchase new seed potato varieties from them at 165 soms per kilogram. This year, the price is expected to rise to around 200 soms per kilogram.

 

The project “Agrofinance Value Chain” supports us in this process by bringing in foreign experts who conducted practical training on growing these new varieties adapted to our local conditions.

 

Moreover, if we manage to successfully develop this work, there is a project goal to open a branch for Dutch potatoes cultivation here in Chong-Alay in the future. They also assist us in marketing the potatoes after harvest.

 

 

-Where did you sell potatoes before?

 

 As I mentioned, I have been working in this area for many years. We grow and sell seed potatoes. Previously, we grew the ordinary “Picasso” variety and sold it to cooperatives in Aravan and Kara-Suu districts, collaborating with them. We supplied early seed potatoes, and they grew and sold the crop.

 

We have been growing the new potato varieties for about two years now. Hopefully, we will begin to see the benefits soon.

 

 

-How many people are in your team?

 

 In total, about forty people work in the cooperative. Currently, they produce early potatoes and send them to neighboring districts. As for the new varieties, four of us work on this throughout Chong-Alay district.

 

We grow the Dutch “Super Elite” potato variety and distribute it to cooperative members. They then produce the “Elite” variety and distribute it further, helping to spread this variety.

 

 

-Do you grow other types of potatoes as well?

 

 Yes, we also grow table potatoes, but we mainly focus on seed potatoes. Out of approximately 5 hectares of land, half is planted with seed potatoes.

 

 

-How are these new varieties growing in the Chon-Alai region?

 

The village of Zhar-Bashy in the Chon-Alai district, where we live, is very suitable for growing potatoes. We received four varieties of Dutch potatoes: “Silvano”, “Camellia”, “Colombo”, and “Perdis”. One of the varieties did not grow well, so we stopped using it. The remaining three varieties sprouted well from the beginning and gave excellent results. We are now focusing on these three varieties and making efforts to grow them with high quality.

 

 

-How much potato harvest do you get per year?

 

 With good yields, we get about 45 tons per year, with an average of 25–30 tons. The regular potatoes harvested in autumn are sorted at storage facilities and then sold to other districts. Last year, we stored the new varieties at warehouses, and this year, God willing, we will start selling them since the previous harvest was kept as seed material.

 

As a community engaged in farming, we have achieved good results. This year, we also placed an order for a slightly different variety called “Super’s Super Elite.”

 

 

-What are your future plans regarding this work?

 

 Chong-Alay is a high mountainous area where many crops do not ripen. When the weather warms up, we clear the fields of weeds, plant potatoes, and grow barley and wheat. In winter, we focus on animal husbandry.

 

In the future, we plan to cultivate other Dutch potato varieties. If we manage to master and develop them well, this will be an excellent contribution to Kyrgyzstan’s agriculture and help raise the reputation of our country’s seed potatoes.

 

We are actively working towards these goals today.

 

Thank you for the interview, and we wish you continued success in your work!