The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a $30 million financing for the Resilient Agri-food Clusters Development Project for the Kyrgyz Republic. The World Bank Office in the Kyrgyz Republic reported.
The project will be complemented by a $5 million grant from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). With a combined financing of $35 million, the project aims to boost the productivity and climate resilience of dairy and horticulture agri-food clusters in the Kyrgyz Republic.
«Recognizing agriculture as a cornerstone of the Kyrgyz Republic’s economy, the World Bank prioritizes the sector alongside energy and water in its new 2024-2028 Country Partnership Framework. The new project marks the beginning of a series of initiatives designed to support the Cabinet of Ministers’ vision for a modernized, competitive, and climate-resilient agricultural sector,» Tatiana Proskuryakova, World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia, said.
The project will support producers, processors, and other value chain participants in improving their production quality, volumes, and access to markets by supporting investment loans for selected agri-food clusters, training and capacity building for agri-food clusters, seed system enhancement, and livestock breeding and information management system improvement. It will also focus on enhancing climate adaptation and mitigation through improved technologies and practices for producers, processors, and public services. Additionally, the project will promote the use of digital technologies for accessing market information and climate-smart technologies.
The Kyrgyz Republic Resilient Agri-food Clusters Development Project is supported through the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s concessional lending arm, in the form of a zero-interest shorter maturity loan, with repayments spread out over 12 years and a six-year grace period. The project will be implemented through 2029 by the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry and the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic.
