On August 27, 2023, the International Summit “Agribusiness in Central Asia: Integration. Modernization. Success”. The large-scale event, which will be attended by market players from the entire region, is held at the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Olga Hunger , Regional Director for Eastern Europe DLG eV (International Association for Agriculture and Food):
– On the eve of the international exhibition of agricultural machinery AGRITECHNICA, which will be held from 12 to 18 November this year in Hannover (Germany), a series of AGRITECHNICA on TOUR events is being held in different countries of the world. And since Central Asia is becoming an increasingly interesting region for exhibiting companies and visitors, we have organized such a summit. With its help, on the one hand, we want to get to know the Central Asian agricultural sector better and better understand the needs of agricultural producers. On the other hand, to contribute to the dissemination of knowledge and innovation in the region.
The main theme of the event will be integration, because the processes associated with it are very important in such regions. Agriculture in Central Asia is small-scale, which makes it difficult to access financing and investment, modern technologies and machinery, and highly productive means of production. As part of the forum, we are going to consider various integration models, both at the horizontal and vertical levels, which will allow farmers to reach a new level of development.
International Summit “Agribusiness in Central Asia: Integration. Modernization, Success” includes an extensive business program. First of all, this is a plenary session, within the framework of which representatives of political and business circles of the countries of the region will speak. With their submission, a discussion will take place on issues related to the strategy for the development and modernization of the agricultural sector, the possibilities of increasing exports, and the choice of optimal integration models.
Thematic sections on various areas of agriculture, including potato growing, are planned at the summit venues. They were prepared jointly with industry unions of the countries of the region, and specialists employed in the industry of enterprises and their leaders will speak here.
Also at the summit, master classes will be held, the participants of which will be able to get acquainted with the intricacies of the practical implementation of various technologies for agriculture, get expert advice in areas of interest. An exhibition program is also planned, within which about 20 companies from eight countries will demonstrate their technologies and effective solutions for agricultural production.
During this forum, over 30 speakers from various countries will speak, and we expect about 300 participants from Central Asia and far abroad, including the UK, Germany, Austria. I invite owners of farms, managers and specialists of agricultural enterprises interested in cooperation with colleagues from the Central Asian region to join them. And, of course, we are waiting for representatives of professional and business associations, regional and municipal administrations at the forum.
AGRITECHNICA will take place this year after a four-year hiatus and we are expecting a real surge of innovation. Manufacturers of machinery and equipment have had enough time to work on improving their products. To date, more than 2.6 thousand participants from 53 countries have already registered. Their expositions will be located in 24 pavilions on an area of 400,000 square meters. According to our forecasts, the event will be attended by about 450,000 people from 130 countries.
Ivan Lyays , representative of the plant in Asia and the Caucasus of the GRIMME Group of Companies:
– We work closely with the International Association of Agriculture and Food (DLG) and consider it necessary to combine our efforts aimed at comprehensively supporting farmers working on the land.
The topic of the International Summit is “Integration. Modernization. Success”, and compliance with these criteria of a profitable business will ensure the future of farmers throughout the region. I think they will come to this in time, but first you need to deal with a number of serious problems.
The primary task is to ensure free access to finance, without which no development is possible . Pricing issues also need to be addressed, because the cost of products should provide agricultural production with a stable profit. The most important conditions for the industry today are the availability of water for irrigating fields and the introduction of efficient irrigation systems.
Our company is present in more than 120 countries of the world, including this region, which has a huge potential for the development of potato growing. The high-mountain soils of Kyrgyzstan and the fertile lands of Kazakhstan are suitable for growing and propagating seed material. Kazakhstan has vast territories, and here it is necessary to focus on the production of ware potatoes. By obtaining quality seeds, local farmers will increase crop yields and profitability. Densely populated Uzbekistan is an excellent market, and can cover its needs with agricultural products from Kazakhstan. As we can see, there are all prerequisites for successful integration, and representatives of the republics need to discuss more fruitful cooperation.
I invite all farmers of the region and neighboring countries who are really interested in developing their business to the summit. Being closest to the ground, they should voice their problems and suggest ways to solve them. This is necessary for the future prosperity of the industry, so that farmers continue to earn money and feed entire nations.
We will see you again soon at the strategically important AGRITECHNICA fair in Hannover for market participants. On its site, our company presents its latest achievements to the attention of agricultural producers around the world. Here we can take a big approach to providing information to farmers, who also get a chance to communicate with colleagues from different countries to exchange experiences. Traditionally, many of our agrarian friends visit this exhibition, and we look forward to meeting them to answer questions related to the acquisition and use of the entire GRIMME equipment line.
Kairat Bisetaev , Chairman of the Board of the Union of Potato and Vegetable Growers of the Republic of Kazakhstan:
– Potatoes are a socially significant and very important product, therefore, close attention is paid to it by the states of Central Asia. In modern conditions, this crop solves the issues of food security in the region, but its production requires large investments. Our Union is working to make entry into the potato business more accessible, especially for small farmers. I suppose that this topic will become one of the main ones to be discussed during the summit.
Potatoes are more susceptible to various diseases than other agricultural plants, which is why it is so important to build the right crop protection. In order for farmers to grow high-quality tubers, a subtle, professional approach, interaction with phytosanitary government agencies and science are required. At the summit, we plan to work out the issues of minimizing the risks associated with potato diseases, including talking about the inadmissibility of transferring dangerous quarantine objects from abroad.
The next issue requiring joint discussion is the production of potato seeds. The time has come to seriously think about how to stop depending on the West and start developing our own selection and seed production. We need to unite to create a mechanism for the interaction of science, the state and agricultural production, which can provide farmers with seed material with the necessary properties.
Representatives of our republic gladly accepted the invitation to the summit, as they are ready to talk about their own vision of the situation and listen to colleagues from other countries. We want to “ synchronize watches ” in order to understand who is at what stage and how we can be interesting and useful to each other.
We are waiting for our long-term partners from Western Europe at this event , relations with which need to be strengthened and developed. In addition, I would like to talk with potato growers and leaders of industry associations from other countries of Central Asia. And also with traders and retailers engaged in the sale of potatoes and interested in our products. For the time being, barriers hindering our cooperation remain, and only their removal will allow producers to avoid difficulties with the sale of the crop.
The interaction of specialists from the sub-sector will continue at the AGRITECHNICA exhibition in November 2023. For us, this is an event where we look at the direction in which the potato growing of the whole continent is moving, and what we should focus on in the future. There you can get acquainted with new models of equipment, solutions for planting, harvesting, protecting and storing potatoes. Thanks to participation in this forum, we hope to find a solution to the current problem today, related to the insufficient development of potato processing in our region.
When we go to AGRITECHNICA, we also plan meetings outside of its program. First of all, with existing and potential suppliers of seeds, machinery and various equipment, with leading experts in the sub-sector.
Alexander Kolodyazhny , Executive Director of Kirby Farm, Kyrgyz Republic:
– Our company is vertically integrated, with well-defined business processes: from seed and marketable potato cultivation, storage and processing to distribution and trade of our own products. Today it is one of the largest farms in the republic engaged in the cultivation and processing of potato tubers.
Preparing for participation in the summit, we expect that it will be aimed primarily at informing farmers about the state of the industry. We need general truthful statistics, data on the latest changes and analysts’ forecasts. Like most participants in the potato market, we are not entirely knowledgeable people, and often, in an effort to act for the good, we work at our own peril and risk.
One of the important topics announced for discussion at the summit is integration. On the example of Kyrgyzstan, I see an urgent need for cooperation between farmers, which is associated with the peculiarities of land use. As a result of the reform, about a million hectares of arable land was divided into shares, and the bulk of the land went into private hands in the form of small patches. Up to 200 tiny farms can work on 100 hectares. No one knows how to solve the issues of building infrastructure in this case, and this is a huge obstacle to development and progress.
Our enterprise tried to work with small farmers, but, unfortunately, none of the attempts was successful due to the fact that they are not able to afford extra expenses, even for the simplest technological equipment. I think that the formation of cooperation should take place in a natural way, and the farmers themselves will rally around some idea, some process. However, this requires serious prerequisites and significant incentives.
It is necessary to discuss the possibility of developing new legislation to promote the creation of cooperatives, the introduction of preferences for their members. This may be a priority right to distribute and lease land, effective financial instruments, and the connection of a powerful administrative resource.
My colleagues and I would like to meet at the summit with potato growers and processors from Central Asia and other regions. Live communication is above all, and any constructive result obtained during the dialogue between market players is very valuable and important.
The event site will become a convenient place for contacts between representatives of many organizations. And the more participants gather here, the more complete and objective information we will receive. Among them should be specialists from companies offering seeds, fertilizers, plant protection products, agricultural machinery, technologies for cultivating the land and storing crops, equipment for processing and packaging products.
The modern world is changing very quickly, and you need to keep up with the latest trends so as not to be thrown overboard in the competitive struggle. For the same reason, we visit the international exhibition AGRITECHNICA, where we not only purchase the most advanced equipment and learn the latest world news, but also meet interesting people.
Pavel Luschak ,Director of Naydorovskoye LLP, Republic of Kazakhstan:
“Our company has increased the area under potatoes by more than six times over 23 years of operation. The cultivation of crops in the republic over the past few years has been facilitated by effective state support measures provided for the purchase of seed material, the organization of irrigation, and the construction of storage facilities. This year we are starting to work on the primary processing of tubers, installing equipment for their washing and cleaning. We are preparing to grow potatoes for the production of chips under an agreement with a large transnational company.
We have an active life position, and representatives of the economy are regular participants in industry exhibitions and forums. We adopt experience from others, share our own, and every time we find something interesting and useful for ourselves. For a rural worker, such events always become a holiday, where he is charged with energy and begins to think about new projects.
At the summit dedicated to agribusiness in Central Asia, I would like to meet colleagues from whom you can learn how to pack and package agricultural products, how to properly organize a warehouse business.
A couple of years ago I was at the Field Day in Russia, in the Samara region, where I visited a potato storage facility designed for three hundred thousand tons. The capacity of my storage, which is quite large by the standards of Kazakhstan, is fifteen thousand tons. It’s a completely different scale! And he shouldn’t be afraid. If you have the ability and desire, you need to unite like-minded people, give people jobs, increase production volumes and make good profits. I think we cannot do without the integration of potato growers in our country and the region as a whole.
In the countries of Central Asia, the problem of a shortage of high-quality seeds is long overdue. This product is expensive and not available to everyone, and in years when there is a drought in Europe, we are generally left with nothing. It is necessary to develop our own seed production, starting with the creation of special laboratories and the production of virus-free seed potatoes on a meristem basis. And for companies that are just selling us seeds for now, it’s time to grow them here. I hope that the discussion of the topic of seed production at the summit site will help move this issue forward.
The Union of Potato Growers, which many farms have joined, has allowed us to have a good grasp of the situation in the sub-sector, to obtain real statistics, without deception and additions. In addition, it made it possible to promote the initiatives of farmers at the legislative level through interaction with deputies and the relevant committee of the Parliament of Kazakhstan. Having united, we have achieved success within the framework of one republic, which means that we will be able to successfully solve common problems on the territory of the entire region.
In the fall, I am planning a trip to the AGRITECHNICA exhibition, which I have been attending for over 20 years. There we will see all the most interesting and advanced that the Americans, Canadians and Europeans bring to the market. In these huge pavilions we meet many acquaintances – managers and specialists from different companies. There is always something to talk about with them, and such communication is worth a lot.
Kaiyrkul Kazylaeva , Chairman of the cluster association “Potatoes of the Kyrgyz Republic”, founder and founder of the AgroWay Holding , Kyrgyz Republic:
– The Potato KR cluster association appeared not so long ago, in 2022. The initiative to create it came from companies, cooperatives and large farmers of the republic working in the agricultural market. In a short period of time, we managed to rally the Kyrgyz potato growers interested in the development of the sub-sector. Among the participants of the cluster, which has more than a thousand business entities, are also manufacturers and suppliers of seeds, plant protection products, processors of agricultural products and leading exporters.
Having decided to take part in the summit, I look forward to new useful contacts, establishing business ties with potential partners from the countries of Central Asia. Of great importance for me will be the exchange of experience with colleagues, obtaining the most up-to-date information in the field of innovations in potato growing and in general in agriculture.
For our part, we can offer the existing developments in this area and talk about our own vision of solving the pressing problems of the potato industry. The cluster association closely cooperates with the AgroWay Holding, which is engaged in the production and export of potatoes and provides consulting services in the agricultural sector. Its experts enjoy great prestige and respect in the business and public circles of Kyrgyzstan.
I think that the attention of many will be attracted by the fact that the main topic of the summit is the integration of participants in the potato market of Central Asia. The creation of effective integration models in the region will help to solve a number of pressing issues. Among them are the introduction of modern technologies, production optimization, successful sales of products, convenient and profitable logistics.
I hope our integration experience will be of interest to other market players. The potato cluster was created in order to ensure food security, increase competitiveness by increasing crop yields, improving the quality of agricultural products, and reducing farmers’ costs by introducing the best world practices. The association sees its task as lobbying and protecting the interests of its members in the legislative, tax and market spheres. The first results of our work are the best evidence of how important it is to work together.
I advise you to visit the International Summit “Agribusiness in Central Asia: Integration. Modernization. Success” to all potato growers in Kyrgyzstan, especially to the members of the Potato cluster association. As well as gardeners, practitioners and experts in the field of agriculture, representatives of international organizations implementing agricultural projects in the region. This unique platform will allow us to develop a roadmap for the development of the industry in the near future and lay the foundation for its successful future.
Farhod Takhirov , Executive Director of Agrover , Republic of Uzbekistan:
– Our land bank is six thousand hectares, and 1200 of them are given over to potatoes. The economy is one of the largest in the country in the field of potato growing, is organized in the form of an agrarian cluster, and its fields are located in different regions of the republic. The production chain includes the entire cycle, from the cultivation of seeds of high reproduction to the processing of agricultural products. There are contracts with leading retail chains in the region, where ware potatoes and their processed products are supplied.
The topic of integration, announced by the organizers of the Central Asian summit, is of great importance for Uzbekistan. The high level of potato consumption is not covered by our own production, so we need supplies from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and other nearby countries, including Russia. We are ready for reciprocal steps, for example, from May to June we can export our early potatoes until the neighbors start harvesting.
Our vaults are completely filled by December-January, and before that they are mostly empty. During the hardships in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, we would offer our colleagues to use our storage facilities so that they do not lose profit by selling products at unfavorable prices and become closer to the market for their consumption.
During the summit, I would like to discuss the issue of agricultural cooperation. We already have experience of working with small farmers, whom we provide with seed material. We are interested in them as suppliers of commercial potatoes and raw materials for the processing plant, especially if they work in regions with high profitability of the crop. We, in turn, will offer our partners to use the developed infrastructure of the company. They will have modern storage facilities, primary processing, well-established supply chains, and sales markets at their disposal.
I am sure that large and small enterprises can cooperate on an ongoing basis to their advantage. I have a lot of assets, and the main problem of the farmer is the lack of funding, so why not help me at a certain stage so that he gets a high yield and a decent profit. As a result, both parties will make good money and continue to develop the business.
On our farm, we are striving to develop primary seed production, we have already built a laboratory and started microclonal propagation of tubers. But in Uzbekistan, due to the hot climate, there are few places suitable for growing seeds, and there is not enough infrastructure in the highlands. Year after year, poor-quality seed material leads to a decrease in yield and product quality for small producers throughout the country. But integration with farmers from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, where there are all conditions for seed production, would allow us to solve this problem.
Very soon we will have another large-scale event, which will bring together farmers from all over the world. The AGRITECHNICA exhibition is a platform for communication and endless opportunities to learn about new technologies for land cultivation, harvesting, storage and processing of products, to see the best examples of machinery and equipment.
Alexander Matvienko , agronomist of Agrokrestyansky Dvor TOO, Republic of Kazakhstan:
– In our farm, we try to use highly productive, high-intensity varieties and modern approaches to farming. Therefore, we consistently receive more than 50 tons of marketable potatoes per hectare, and the maximum yields reach 63 tons. Last year, we started growing one of the varieties intended for processing on our fields. We signed an agreement for the supply of raw materials with an international company, and have already managed to surprise new partners with an increased number of tubers per bush and their size.
I am in my fourteenth year in the agricultural business, and before that I myself went to various events to learn. Now I am ready to share my knowledge, to talk about the results we get. Participation in the upcoming summit gives us the opportunity to contribute to the development of potato production in Kazakhstan and neighboring republics.
Today, small and medium-sized agricultural producers are in dire need of financial support in the form of grants and subsidies. To make money growing potatoes, you need to invest well in this business. Agrarians of the region need more powerful support from their states, and our country can share its experience in this area.
It is important to unite the efforts of potato growers to solve pricing issues. Market conditions should be common to all, and dumping and unscrupulous methods of fighting for a buyer should be a thing of the past. If we see each other as only competitors, this does not allow us to fully use all the benefits of cooperation.
Separately, at the summit it is worth discussing the development of the cooperative movement in the region. Through integration with larger players, small farmers will be able to learn how to apply the right technology for growing potatoes, effectively deal with storage, processing and marketing of products. This will have a beneficial effect on the entire market and will be beneficial to both producers and consumers.
We are waiting for participants from different countries, including Russia, where there are many large potato growing companies that have a lot to learn from. An excellent example for us will be the experience of such farms as Dobronravov Agro LLC, Putsko Farming Enterprise LLC, ZhAK peasant farming enterprise, Latkin LLC, Aksentis LLC. We would be interested to know what technologies they use, what innovations they introduce in their production, what varieties they prefer.
In November, the team of representatives of Kazakhstan will once again go to the AGRITECHNICA exhibition. At one of the most significant events for the industry, all world brands are present, meetings with foreign colleagues are held here, and future lucrative contracts are negotiated. Visiting such exhibitions, we definitely visit factories to see the process of production of agricultural machinery and equipment from the inside and ask all the questions that interest us.
