Kyrgyzstan is working to adapt its agro-industrial sector to climate change. Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry Mirbek Duisheev stated on the sidelines of СОР29.
According to him, agriculture is the central link in the development of the country’s economy, and the issue of ensuring food independence is one of the main components of national security. In this context, in July 2024, the Presidential Decree «On measures for further development of the agro-industrial complex of the Kyrgyz Republic» was signed.
The document determines priority areas, including water resources, export, cooperation, exchange of science, breeding material, seeds, etc.
It is planned to introduce green biotechnology and use artificial intelligence in agricultural production.
Mirbek Duisheev also focused on the problem of pastures degradation.
According to him, pastures in the Kyrgyz Republic occupy more than 80 percent of all agricultural land, or almost 9 million hectares. But a significant part of them is under threat of degradation: about 140,000 hectares have already been degraded, and 614,000 hectares are considered unproductive.
Over the past 20 years, the area of conditionally clean pastures has decreased from 3.5 million to 2.7 million hectares.
In order to change the situation, grass seeds are purchased to restore the land, grazing is restricted, and artificial glaciers are created for water supply. A program for the development of pastures for 2025-2029 has been adopted, aimed at their restoration and rational use.
Work is also underway to switch to highly productive cattle, develop pedigree livestock breeding, and artificial insemination of farm animals to reduce the load on pastures.
In addition, the deputy minister noted that in recent years, significant attention has been paid to organic farming in the republic. It occupies 67,400 hectares. However, this is only 5 percent of agricultural land.
Mirbek Duisheev recalled the importance of switching from traditional irrigation methods to sustainable ones. In this area, most attention is paid primarily to raising awareness of farmers, including training on the benefits of innovative irrigation methods (sprinkling, drip systems).
In his online speech, the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in the Kyrgyz Republic Oleg Guchgeldyev noted that agriculture accounts for about 30 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change, according to him, affects food production, threatens food security and reduces the income of the population.
«FAO has accumulated extensive experience, we have tools that allow us to monitor soil quality and the efficiency of water use. We provide these tools and solutions as part of our partnership programs,» Oleg Guchgeldyev said.
He added that Kyrgyzstan still has a large amount of water resources. «At least until 2030, as scientists assure us. The country can provide support to downstream states. It is important to improve the quality of water management through the use of more efficient technologies,» the FAO representative explained.
The UN Climate Change Conference has been taking place in Baku since November 11. Today’s event in the Kyrgyzstan’s pavilion is dedicated to the problems of agriculture, food security and water resources in the context of climate change.
