Agricultural newsletter of Central Asia June 2024

Kazakhstan's new era for organic food production

The Head of State has signed a law transforming organic food production in Kazakhstan. This visionary legislation is set to preserve natural resources, promote healthier diets, and elevate organic food market to new heights.

Key elements of the law for a robust organic food industry include:

• Modernized objectives and tasks for organic production and turnover.
• Organic food producers expanded with organic producers associations (ordinary partnerships).
• Streamlined transition terms for shifting to organic food production.
• Detailed production, tagging, and turnover standards.
• Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS): voluntary, internally controlled systems ensuring top-quality organic products, aligned with international standards.

Kazakh PresidentpPromotes sustainable pasture use with new amendments

The Kazakh President has approved transformative amendments to the law on pasture use, setting the stage for combating land degradation and promoting sustainable practices. Here's what's new:

• The criterion of not using pastures has been tightened by increasing the number of farm animals required for grazing from 20% to 50% of the standard load on a pasture.

• Ban on land conversion: a firm prohibition on converting pastures into other agricultural land types, preserving precious grazing areas.
• Introduction of 'public pastures': strengthening the status of community grazing lands to support local rural dwellers.

Kazakhstan has 184 million hectares of pasturelands, a vast 84% of all agricultural land. With a 30-million-hectare deficit and 90% of village pastures facing degradation from overuse, these amendments are crucial.

Uzbekistan launches breakthrough agricultural project to boost fruit yields by 40%

Agrobank, one of Uzbekistan's leading banks, has launched an innovative Agro Invitro project in the Gallaaral district of Jizzak region. This initiative aims to grow high-yielding young plants using the most modern technologies. This is a truly revolutionary project for the agricultural sector in Uzbekistan and for the whole of Central Asia.

• A unique laboratory greenhouse complex spanning 20.4 hectares hosts 6,000 certified young plants of fruit, grape, and ornamental species, all adapted to local climate conditions.
• Utilizing fifth-generation technology, the greenhouse achieves up to 30% savings on heating and up to 70% on cooling, making it the fifth most energy-efficient greenhouse in the world.
• Young plants are irrigated with water purified from viruses and bacteria, promising yields several times higher than traditional methods.

Kyrgyzstan's farmers aim for record-breaking strawberry exports: 20 tons per hectare

Kyrgyzstan's domestic strawberry producers are gearing up to boost their average yield to an impressive 20 tons per hectare. This ambitious goal was revealed during a meeting with Bakyt Torobaev, Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry.

•  The Minister convened with representatives from Aiyl Bank OJSC, RSK Bank, and top domestic producers-exporters to discuss the strategy for enhancing strawberry export potential.

•  Deliberations included the current state of Kyrgyzstan's strawberry industry, global market trends, and identifying lucrative export markets.
• Critical issues such as financing and land provision for warehouse construction were voiced.
• A thorough comparison with competitors was conducted to understand market entry conditions.
• Farmers are setting their sights high, aiming to push strawberry exports to $1 billion in the coming years.