Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Kyrgyzstan Rysgul Akimzhanova made a working visit to the Aravan and Nookat districts of Osh Region, where she familiarized herself with the activities of the agricultural enterprises “Nookat Almasy” SCSU, “Baglan” AEC, “Ak Changal” CEC, “Aziz Ata” LLC, and “Sonun Kurut” LLC. During the visit, issues related to the development of organic production, processing, storage and export of agricultural products were discussed.
Beeld: apple garden
apple garden
At “Nookat Almasy” SCSU, the Deputy Minister reviewed intensive apple and cherry orchards, the drip irrigation system, as well as the training center for farmers. At “Baglan” AEC, opportunities for developing orchards in mountainous areas and transitioning to organic standards were discussed. At “Aziz Ata” LLC, the activities of a logistics center with a storage capacity of up to 600 tonnes of products were reviewed, along with issues related to the export of fruits and vegetables, including to Türkiye. At “Sonun Kurut” LLC, the Deputy Minister familiarized herself with the production of plastic packaging for food products.
Following the visit, it was noted that the Aravan and Nookat districts have significant potential for the development of organic production. The main objective is to establish an integrated chain covering production, certification, processing, packaging, storage and export of agricultural products.
The Netherlands’ experience in developing Kyrgyzstan’s organic market
In 2025, with the support of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kyrgyzstan and upon the request of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic, an international expert Samanta Rosi Belliere from the Dutch Certification organization "SKAL Biocontrole" was invited to prepare an analysis and training in the field of organic production and certification for Kyrgyz counterparts. As part of the analysis, international experience in promoting organic products was studied, including European approaches to their sale through retail chains.
Beeld: organic
illustration
Based on the findings, a phased approach to promoting domestically produced organic products was proposed: establishing dedicated organic shelves or sections in stores, introducing clear labeling, ensuring product traceability, verifying suppliers, and strengthening market controls. At the same time, the expert recommended avoiding the immediate introduction of rigid percentage requirements for retail chains and instead gradually expanding the range of organic products as production capacity and supply stability increase.
Dutch organic expertise and conclusions
The experience of the Netherlands demonstrated that the development of the organic market requires not only increased production, but also consumer trust, effective control mechanisms, and functioning logistics. In the first half of 2025, organic products accounted for 3.5% of food expenditure in Dutch supermarkets.
Beeld: © Free use / supermarket
supermarket
For Kyrgyzstan this experience is particularly relevant as it confirms the importance of establishing an integrated chain from the producer and verification of organic status to domestic retail and, ultimately, access to export markets. This approach is fully aligned with the objective of establishing an integrated chain from organic production to export in Osh Region.