Kyrgyz exporters signed a $ 4 million contract with Uzbekistan. President of the Kyrgyz Association of Exporters and Importers Kyrgyzland Lenara Nayazbekova told at a press conference.
According to her, the association has concluded export agreements with Uzbek companies in the framework of the project «From Soil to Sale», which is being implemented for the fifth year.
«Uzbekistan had been a closed country for many years, but the situation has changed now. The government of the republic lends to its residents, and importers of Uzbekistan are looking for ways to cooperate with Kyrgyz exporters. Since September 2019, Kyrgyz farmers began export of potatoes, small and large cattle to the neighboring state,» Lenara Nayazbekova said.
According to her, it is not easy to export local products to neighboring countries due to bureaucratic and corruption barriers that exist in the republic.
«According to the agreement, in 2019, Kyrgyzstan was supposed to export 8,000 heads of livestock, but as of today it has sent only 500 heads of small cattle. In 2019, the potato harvest amounted to 1,303 milion tons, we planned to export most of it to Uzbekistan. But due to internal bureaucratic and corruption barriers, we were able to supply only 200 tons of potatoes,» Lenara Nayazbekova told.
She added that one of the problems in export of local products abroad was also the lack of education and business skills among farmers and local entrepreneurs.
