Bishkek, Nov. 20, 2018. /Kabar/. A one-week training seminar is held in Bishkek for specialists in organic production, certification and marketing. This training is part of the activities of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), launched in April 2018, to support state and private service providers in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to improve technical skills and expand knowledge of modern crop production management. A similar training has already been held in Tashkent.
Along with assistance in developing a national strategy for more effective expansion of agriculture, the main focus of the project is the training of national staff.
In most of these countries, the agriculture system is not sufficiently developed due to historical circumstances, although, in order to intensify crop production and increase crop yields, farmers will need better services. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, a number of reforms were carried out in Central Asia, which resulted in the privatization and transformation of farms: a large number of private farms replaced larger collective and state farms.
They are managed by former farm members who have received property, most of whom have no agricultural experience. In addition, a knowledge extension system designed to assist them does not exist or is very weak, since in the Soviet period agricultural research institutes were responsible for the provision of advisory services, which is not currently happening.
“The system no longer functions in most countries of Central Asia, and non-governmental organizations supported by development organizations or projects are trying to fill the niche and provide consulting services,” FAO agricultural officer Hafiz Muminjanov explained. “However, the technical knowledge and experience of these specialists require improvement in order to better provide services to farmers so that they can increase crop yields and crop production.”
Many specialists, mainly former school teachers or technicians working in consulting services, do not have work experience in agriculture or work experience with adults.
The FAO project, designed until March 2020, aims to promote sustainable increases in crop yields and crop productivity, leading to improved food safety and increased income for small farming families. In this regard, the project should improve national extension services and enable them to provide timely and effective support to farmers and rural communities so that they can be resilient to climate change and introduce improved methods for managing crops, land and water and combating pests.
This project will complement and build on FAO's previous, ongoing, and planned projects and activities in the region concerning agricultural conservation, crop diversification, integrated pest management, strengthening seed safety for small farmers, organic agriculture and supply chains, women's empowerment in agriculture and much more.
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