International Potato Tour: A Visit to Farmer Sheshanlo Sherba

As part of the International Potato Tour, organized in cooperation with and supported by Kairkul Kazylaeva, Head of the Potato Cluster Association of the Kyrgyz Republic, a working visit was paid to the fields of the “AgroWay Plus” Agricultural Production Cooperative. The destination of the visit was the farm of Sheshanlo Sherba, who shared his unique practical experience in potato cultivation, spoke about his large-scale plans, and discussed overcoming professional challenges.

Production Scale and Varieties Used

During the meeting, the farmer shared the key production indicators of his enterprise:

• Experience: Sheshanlo Sherba has been growing potatoes for about 10 years , having started his operations in 2016.
• Generation: He is a first-generation farmer who mastered this agricultural direction entirely on his own.
• Acreage: Today, the total planting area of the farm exceeds 20 hectares.
• Planting Dates: In the current season, planting operations in the fields were carried out on April 20.
• Varieties: Elite seed material is grown on the plots , specifically categories and varieties such as elite “Viza”, “Radiza”, and elite “Pekas”.

Learning from Mistakes: Weed Control Experience

The farmer’s journey in potato growing was built on continuous self-improvement. Sherba openly admits that 10 years ago, he did not even seriously know how to cultivate this crop and learned everything from his own mistakes.

He identified the wrong approach to weeding fields as his biggest technological mistake over the years. Specifically, his experience showed that early potatoes should not be treated with certain chemical products, such as “MCPA-salt”.

Family as the Main Motivation

Currently, the farmer’s family lives at home in Bishkek. Sherba has two children: the oldest son is 14 years old, and the youngest is 3. Next week, his oldest son is expected to arrive for his school holidays. The farmer expressed his hope that in the future, his children will choose to follow his professional path and work alongside him.

Future Plans and a Message to Colleagues

Sheshanlo Sherba’s main goal for the future is to significantly increase potato planting volumes so that the harvested crop is enough for everyone. He emphasizes that there is currently a shortage of potatoes on the market, especially autumn ones.

For fellow growers from different countries engaged in similar hard work, the farmer left an important message:

• It is essential to always strive forward, keep learning, and expand plantings.
• One should not fear difficulties, as the nature of this profession is such that it is impossible to do business without facing challenges.
• The most important thing to remember is that every difficulty is always followed by relief, which gives the strength to keep moving forward.