Growing Cooperation in Agriculture between Kyrgyzstan and The Netherlands
On 20-21 September 2022 the Netherlands Agricultural Trade Mission to Kyrgyzstan organized by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Astana took place in Bishkek. It was the second agricultural mission since 2019. The trade mission was led by Deputy Head of Mission of the Netherlands in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Nout van Woudenberg. A multi sector delegation of 9 Dutch agro companies took part in the mission. The mission was organized with the support of Honorary Consulate of the Netherlands in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kyrgyzstan and the Ministry of Agriculture of Kyrgyzstan.
Agro-business forum & B2B meetings
A two-day programme of the trade mission included the agro-business forum combined with B2B match making meetings between Dutch and Kyrgyz agribusinesses. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Murat Paydyldaev and Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic Elmira Bataeva spoke at the forum. Kyrgyz growers and agricultural companies could listen to the presentations and then personally meet with the Dutch companies. Also, field meetings at dairy and poultry enterprises in Sokoluk and Chui districts were organised, as well as visits to cold storage facilities and to growers of fruits and vegetables.
Morning Session with financial institutes
One of the most valuable events of the program was the Morning Session with representatives of international and local financial institutions including Ayl Bank Kyrgyzstan, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IFC and USAID. The participants could discuss current economic developments in Kyrgyzstan with major focus on agriculture and support programs available in this area.
"Cold chain: technologies and solutions" Seminar
Taking into account the needs of Kyrgyzstan growers in knowledge and expertise in sphere of past-harvest technologies and operations, LAN-Moscow arranged the seminar on “Cold chain: technologies and solutions” with experts from the Dutch companies. The seminar was moderated by Ronald Goldberg, Senior Policy Officer of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan).
Noila Tashbayeva from Geerlofs Refrigeration and Wim van den Berg from Van Amerongen spoke at the seminar and shared with Kyrgyz farmers the latest developments and innovations in the field of controlled storage for fruits and vegetables.
As the expertise leader, the Netherlands have made a lot of efforts in improving the post-harvest management both in the home country and in the developing world. So, Kyrgyzstan is one of the countries where Dutch expertise in post-harvest management can be used as well for the benefits of the local agricultural sector.
Opportunities for Dutch companies
The agricultural sector is the largest employer in the Kyrgyz Republic, with about 40 percent of the labor force participating in this sector. And while it accounts for an estimated 14 percent of GDP, the second largest component of GDP, it is disorganized and undercapitalized, and the Kyrgyz food processing industry remains underdeveloped. Most agriculture is family-based on small plots of land. Larger production, particularly in apples, apricots, cherries, sugar beets, beans, cotton, tobacco, and walnuts, is regional and still small-scale compared to Western standards. Most families grow small amounts of fruits and vegetables that are consumed locally, though the Kyrgyz Republic did export more than $155 million of produce in 2020.
The Netherlands export of agricultural products to Kyrgyzstan is not so high yet and in 2021 it totaled only 3,5 million Euro though it is almost 40 percent increase compared to 2019. During three quarters of 2022 The Netherlands exported agricultural products worth of 3.4 million Euro.
For the Dutch business community, there are opportunities for small-scale operations in a variety of areas: orchards, dried fruits, improved seed, fertilizer, small-scale farm equipment, food processing equipment and slaughterhouses, improved storage, and packaging. In Kyrgyzstan, there is a great need for more practical (applied) knowledge. Kyrgyz growers are interested to learn more about cooperatives and cluster approach and chain cooperation.
LAN Team Moscow