TİKA Supports Expanding the Agricultural Product Range in Kyrgyzstan

As part of the “Legume Tentative Sowing Project”, which is carried out with the cooperation of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM) and the Republic of Kyrgyzstan Plant Quarantine Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Industry and Melioration; the seeds that have been procured from Turkey were sown in the city of Tokmok.

Within the scope of the decisions that have been made at the 9^th Mixed Economic Commission (KEK) meeting between the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, and as part of the practices to try new types of beans, chickpea and green lentils in Kyrgyzstan and to meliorate the local runner beans using the selection method, the first tentative sowing has been carried out for 180 kgs of seeds of beans, chickpea and green lentils.

The first practical sowing was attended by Marat Satkeev, the Head of the Seed Testing and Registry Unit at the Plant Quarantine Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Industry and Melioration of the Kyrgyz Republic; Osman Usta, TİKA’s Bishkek Coordinator; Prof. Dr. Atilla Dursun, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University; and Estebes Beyşeyev, the Tokmok District Tentative Sowing Areas Supervisor.

Marat Satkeev, the Head of the Seed Testing and Registry Unit at the Plant Quarantine Department, made a statement here, saying that they have been showing serious effort as the Ministry in order to increase the product range and to try new types of seeds in Kyrgyzstan, and expressing his gratitude towards Turkey for their important contributions.

In his statement, TİKA’s Bishkek Coordinator Osman Usta stated that Turkey would be contributing to the development of Kyrgyzstan in agriculture just like other areas, and he expressed his gratitude towards all shareholders that contributed in the project, especially the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture of Forestry TAGEM Eskişehir Transitional Zone Agricultural Research Institute. Usta also added that in addition to Tokmok, the sowing would continue in the Talas, Issyk Kul and Osh regions as part of the tentative sowing.

In his statement, Prof. Dr. Atilla Dursun, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Manas University, underlined that the agricultural projects had a long-lasting and long-term efficiency, and stated that it would be beneficial for the Kyrgyz economy if the legume tentative sowing project were to be seriously studied and improved. Prof. Dr. Dursun demonstrated in practice how to sow the seeds.

The Tokmok District Tentative Sowing Areas Supervisor Estebes Beyşeyev, on the other hand, reminded that eleven tonnes of seeds that had been provided by TİKA during the pandemic had been a great relief for the people all around Kyrgyzstan, and expressed his gratitude towards TİKA for the seeds that were provided as part of the tentative sowing of the legumes.