Kyrgyzstan is now self-sufficient in six out of nine key food products. First Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry, Zhanybek Kerimaliev, stated at a meeting of the Committee on Agrarian Policy, Water Resources, Subsoil Use, Ecology and Environmental Protection of Parliament.
According to him, the country previously was able to ensure self-sufficiency in only three of the nine key food products.
«Now we have reached six products — something that has never happened before. Our next goal is to achieve self-sufficiency in a seventh category, vegetable oil. To this end, we are focusing on cultivating agricultural crops used for vegetable oil production,» Zhanybek Kerimaliev said.
Responding to lawmakers’ questions about the effectiveness of agricultural lending, the deputy minister noted that in recent years the ministry has shifted from a quantitative to a qualitative approach.
«In the past, loans were issued chaotically for various purposes without a clear plan. However, over the past four years, loans have been allocated strictly for their intended purposes. As a result, we are seeing growth in pedigree livestock farming, dairy production, and other sectors,» he added.
