GUEST COLUMN BY BRUCE and COLLEEN HOWE-GREGORY

Farmer-to-Farmer Program Return to Kyrgyzstan

Jan. 7th-Jan. 29, 2006
Funded by U.S. Agency for International Development
and Winrock International

posted 12/09/05
In the remote area of Central Asia is a small country called Kyrgyzstan that up until 1990-91 was part of the Soviet Union. Thirty five percent of their GDP is from agriculture. Fifty-five percent of the 4.9 million people who live in Kyrgyzstan live below the poverty level. Fifty-five percent of the work force is involved in agriculture.

As part of a continuing program to assist the now independent countries that emerged from the break-up of the old Soviet bloc, USAID, in cooperation with Winrock International have recruited many volunteers over the last few years who have experience in agriculture to go to these now independent but struggling countries on farmer-to-farmer exchanges.

We have been lucky enough to have been chosen to return to Kyrgyzstan in January to assist a small group of farmers in the village of Gulbaar (near Osh) in the southern part of Kyrgyzstan. We will also be visiting the farmers of the Kyzyl-Alma cooperative that I worked with in April of 2004 in the village of Kyzyl-Suu to see how the new varieties of apples and pears that we took over have been doing.

All of our expenses getting to and from Kyrgyzstan are paid for by USAID/Winrock. Our time in Kyrgyzstan is volunteer time given by us. We will leave our farm and our jobs for three weeks.

The host group in Gulbaar village is a group of twelve families that collectively manage a nine hectare orchard of apples, pears and apricots. There are another 50 indirect beneficiaries in the group both women and children.

Upon the break-up of the Soviet Union, government farms experienced many years of lost production. Most of the orchards have been in a state of decline since the Soviets left in the early 1990s.

The work we will be doing is to help the growers in Gulbaar identify and start implementing improvements in their orchard management practices. There is little money for orchard technologies that we in the U.S. take for granted. Most of what we will be doing is helping them improve their pruning methods, work on fertility and integrated pest management using mostly organic methods and providing them feed back on how they can take their limited resources and improve their quality of life through their farming and farms.

The budget for this program does not include funds for simple pruning tools, educational materials or books, new varieties of apples, pears and other tree fruit types, nor paper or ink for printing while in Kyrgyzstan.

We are now in the process of collecting as many of these items and material as possible to take with us when we leave in January. We do not have a lot of money ourselves, just big hearts and the determination to help out some fellow farmers in a remote country. If you, (or anyone you know), would consider donating funds of any amount to be used to procure the above mentioned items we would appreciate it. In April of 2004 the members of the Kyzyl-Alma association were most grateful for the few items we were able to leave. If you wish to donate money to this project please send a check made out and mail to:

Mitchell Bay Farm & Nursery,
Kyrgyzstan Project,
1071 Mitchell Bay Rd.
Friday Harbor, WA. 98250.

Any funds not used by the time the suitcases are full will be donated to Winrock International. If you have additional questions please call us at 378-2309 or email us at: mbfarm@rockisland.com

Thank you very much!

Bruce and Colleen Howe-Gregory
Mitchell Bay Farm & Nursery

Winrock International Central Asia Farmer-to-Farmer Program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development Request for Technical Assistance

Executive Summary:
Although the region is one of the primary suppliers of apples and other fruits in southern Kyrgyzstan and has favorable climatic conditions and fertile soil, since the early 1990s little attention has been given to orchard maintenance issues. As a result, orchards have been in a gradual state of decline and growers are facing difficulties in meeting product quality and volume requirements.

The volunteer's assignment will help to improve existing orchard management methods, provide recommendations on methodologies, technologies, and new investments needed and to help to implement those recommendations to improve existing orchard management.

To make an accurate assessment and provide recommendations for improvements, the volunteer expert will be expected to meet with growers to examine existing facilities and mechanisms. While Gulbaar village growers' group will be the primary recipients of the volunteer's assistance, it is anticipated that the volunteer will work with other Fruit growers (Apple, pear, plum, apricot, peach, (sweet) cherry).

Kyrgyzstan has the potential to become a major fruit exporter as climate and soils are appropriate. Fruits are relatively expensive on the market and demand from Russia is substantial. However, coddling moth and scab reduce fruits quality drastically. Generally, the larvae of the coddling moth attack more than 50% of most fruit trees.

Background and Host Organization Profile:
The area of Gulbaar village has around 7 thousand inhabitants and located between Osh city and Aravan rayon center. Mr. Atazakov Abdylyashim is technician engineer by education and he works with the gardens starting 1991, later, after the land reforms he received his share of the garden, but he and his neighbors decided to run one farm garden of 3 hectares. Last year their yield was 50 tons from 3 hectares of garden and about 50 tons of drop fruits. 30 tons they sold to Russian exporters. The insecticides they use are B58, DSZ and also they use manure for fertilizing. The gardeners use flood irrigation method mostly.

Working/Living Conditions and Materials Needed for Assignment:
The volunteer most of the time will be in the field. So the conditions are more rustic in comparison to western standards. There may not be running water or indoor toilets. In February the weather is still cold, average temperature can be around -5 to -10 C and snow is possible. The food will be plentiful.

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