On May 26, 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture will host a National Field Day on advanced technologies for cultivation of early maturing fruits and vegetables in Aravan Rayon, Osh Oblast. First Deputy Prime Minister Taiyrbek Sarpashev, Minister of Agriculture Taalaibek Aidaraliev, and Deputy Governor of Osh Oblast Ahmadjan Mahammadov are expected to attend. Farmers, members of agricultural cooperatives, staff of rayon agricultural departments, and agricultural service providers from across the country will participate in the event, which is supported by the USAID Agro Horizon Project.
Because of the favorable climate, southern regions of the Kyrgyz Republic have high potential to produce ecologically clean produce for export, which is critical given Kyrgyzstan’s efforts to open new export markets as exemplified by its recent entry into the Eurasian Economic Union. Responding to these new opportunities, National Field Day will help spread innovative approaches for producing and marketing fruits and vegetables in the southern regions. In addition, participants will learn about applications for agricultural production of fruits and vegetables under arid conditions, such as drip irrigation and greenhouses. Farmers in Aravan Rayon have been using many of these techniques for the past decade successfully to boost production of early maturing vegetables and potatoes for export.
Agro Horizon is a four-year, USAID-funded project, implemented by ACDI/VOCA. The project focuses on improving the productivity and competitiveness of Kyrgyzstan’s agricultural producers and agro enterprises working in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, and egg production. The project targets farmers and agribusinesses in Osh, Jalalabad, Batken, and Naryn oblasts. The project also promotes improving the business and policy environment and producers’ access to Kyrgyz and foreign markets. To learn more about the project, visit: http://www.usaid.gov/kyrgyz-republic/fact-sheets/usaid-agro-horizon-project.
All interested journalists are invited to cover this event. For more information, please contact Communications and Learning Manager Asel Karagazieva by telephone (+996 770) 850-990 or e-mail akaragazieva@acdivoca.kg.
