Grain farming is one of the main sectors of agriculture. Economic difficulties in agriculture over the past few years have also affected grain farming. Agriculture has not been adequately supplied with machinery, and the number of tractors and grain harvesters has decreased. To develop grain farming, the use of mineral and organic fertilizers is necessary, which contributes to increased yields. Due to the worsening economic situation, most farms were unable to purchase the now expensive fertilizers, and significantly less were brought in from other places. To address food security in the republic, expanding the sown areas of food grain crops and increasing their yields is a key problem in agriculture. Over the past 10 years, there have been significant changes in grain production in the republic.
The yield of grain crops in the republic in 1991 was 22.5 centners per hectare, but in subsequent years it began to decline, and in 1994, the yield was 17.8 centners per hectare. After that, a gradual increase was observed, reaching 22.7 centners per hectare in 1996, and 26.4 centners per hectare in 2000. During the existence of the Soviet Union, the task of increasing the production of barley, corn, oats, etc., was set to ensure livestock with concentrated feeds, and the required amount of food grain for the population of the republic was provided by the Union Fund. With the acquisition of sovereignty by the republic, the main problem was ensuring the population's need for bread and bread products from domestically produced grain. Significant changes occurred in the structure of sown agricultural crops in the crop production sector, primarily expanding the sown areas of grain crops. In 1991, grain crops occupied a total of 556.5 thousand hectares or 43.5% of the total area of sown agricultural crops. By 2000, their sown area reached 677.1 thousand hectares or 56.0%. During the same period, the sown area of wheat increased, and its share in the structure of grains grew from 34.7% to 74.7%.
As seen from the table, the area of grain crops and yield over the 10 years did not undergo significant changes. The maximum increase in sown areas was observed in 1997, amounting to 667.6 thousand hectares. In 1996, the government of the republic established the Partnership Fund "EU-Kyrgyzstan," financed by the World Bank, which allocated 30 million soms for the purchase of seeds of higher reproductions of wheat and other grain crops for seed-growing farms. Over the past 4 years, seed-growing farms received more than 1100 tons of super elite, elite, and first reproduction seeds annually from the fund. This allowed for an increase in the share of seed crops of higher reproductions. At the same time, the production of elite seeds of cereal crops increased: in 1995 — 1657 tons, in 1998 — 4391 tons, in 1999 — 7578 tons. High varietal quality of seeds, along with providing qualified consulting services to farmers, allowed for improvements in the sowing qualities of grain crops. The rise in yields was also facilitated by the accelerated introduction of new high-yielding varieties such as winter wheat "Kyzyl-Dan," "Lyutescens-42" of Kyrgyz selection; "Suasson," "Baltazar," and "Gaspar" of French selection; "Polovchanka," "Umanka," "Zimorodok" of Russian selection; winter barley "Ardak," corn "Oktabrsky 70"; "Ala-Too" and "Manas" of Kyrgyz selection. Since 1996, rural producers have produced about 1 million tons of food wheat, which meets the needs of the population of the republic.
The sown area of wheat increased: in 1991 — 188.7 thousand hectares, in 2000 — 443.7 thousand hectares. Laws "On Seeds," "On the Legal Protection of Breeding Achievements," the regulation "On Seed-Growing Farms of the Kyrgyz Republic," and the procedure for importing seeds and planting material of the best foreign varieties and hybrids into Kyrgyzstan have been adopted. Work is underway to introduce seed certification in the republic, bringing existing standards, GOSTs, and technical conditions to the level of international requirements. Many peasant and farmer households have strengthened, and the number of economically stable business entities has increased, which has influenced production processes. The farmer has become independent and free, becoming the owner of the land, realizing his responsibility and showing interest in the results of his labor. In 1999, peasant and farmer households produced 86.2% of the total gross output of crop production. Occupying 62.9% of the sown area with a yield of 28.5 centners per hectare, they produced 68.3% of the grain in the republic.
In the structure of the gross output value of agriculture, grain crops account for 22.2%, and in crop production — 40.3% (2000). State farms account for 4.9% of gross grain production and 5.6% of sown areas of grain crops; respectively, collective farms — 26.8% and 33.9%; personal farms in settlements — 12.6% and 9.9%; peasant (farmer) farms — 55.7% and 50.6% (1999). In the territory of the republic, in addition to wheat, corn, rice, barley, and oats are sown on small areas:
Potato Farming. Potatoes are an essential food product, ranking second after bread. The soil and climatic conditions allow for potato cultivation everywhere, with early varieties in warm regions and regular varieties in mountainous areas.
In Kyrgyzstan, potatoes were first cultivated in the 1860s, but potato farming did not achieve significant development. During the Soviet era, potato production in the republic increased. It received significant development after the republic gained independence. Currently, in terms of sown area and gross yield of potatoes, the republic ranks first among the Central Asian republics.
The main potato crops are located in the Issyk-Kul region, in the mountainous areas of the Fergana Valley, and in the Kemin district of the Chui region. In recent years, potato farming has spread widely in the Naryn and Talas regions. In 2000, the area planted was 68.9 thousand hectares, with a yield of 150.9 centners per hectare, resulting in a gross harvest of 1045.5 thousand tons.
The growth of the gross potato harvest by 3.2 times was achieved through an increase in sown areas by 2.9 times and an increase in yield by 30%. The main prospect for the development of the industry is the transition of potato seed production to a virus-free basis. According to scientists and specialists, using the meristem method of cultivation will increase its yield by at least 2.5 times. Breeding work to create more productive table potato varieties resistant to fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases is being carried out at the Issyk-Kul experimental breeding station and at the joint-stock company "Chon-Kemin" in the Kemin district. Great attention is paid to the quality of seed material. In addition, the Kyrgyz-Dutch project for agricultural development in the Nookat district of the Osh region is engaged in the multiplication of seed potatoes in three villages — Kenesh, Kyrgyz-Ata, and Isanova.
Vegetable Growing. When sowing vegetable crops, high-quality seed varieties are used. In the Chui Valley and in the south of Kyrgyzstan, seeds of heat-loving vegetable crops (cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, onions) are grown. In the mountainous zone (Issyk-Kul basin, Inner Tien Shan, Talas valleys), early-maturing vegetable seeds such as leafy vegetables, root vegetables, radishes, legumes, and others are cultivated. The republic cultivates 20 types of vegetable crops.
Vegetable crops are grown in open and closed ground. In open ground, vegetable crops are grown to obtain products and seeds in spring, summer, and autumn, while in closed ground — in winter. In recent years, vegetable growing has developed rapidly. The areas occupied by vegetable growing increased by 25.7% from 1965 to 1973, and yield increased by 45.5%. More than 60% of vegetables were produced by the public sector, including 33% of the total vegetable production in the republic coming from specialized farms. Vegetable growing in closed ground is developing intensively. In 1965, there were 32.8 thousand square meters of greenhouses and about 20 thousand square meters of winter greenhouses. By 1978, there were more than 200 hectares of temporary film shelters. Currently, standard greenhouses are widely used in the republic, where electric energy is utilized. Many of these greenhouses are in the Chui Valley. In 1990, the sown area of vegetables in the republic was 20.7 thousand hectares, and in 1995 — 30.6 thousand hectares. Agricultural enterprises accounted for 26.2% of the sown area of vegetables, 60.4% were private farms, and 13.4% were peasant (farmer) farms (1995).
In 2000, the sown area of vegetables in the republic was 46.9 thousand hectares, which is 27.4 thousand hectares more compared to 1991. The volume of vegetable production increased more than twofold over 10 years, with 746.8 thousand tons of vegetables and 65.3 thousand tons of melons produced in 2000, which allowed for meeting the population's needs for fresh vegetables and processing vegetable products for export. The increase in the gross vegetable harvest was mainly achieved through an expansion of sown areas by 2.4 times. The yield remains relatively low.
Melon growing has been practiced in Kyrgyzstan for a long time. It began to develop initially in the Osh, Jalal-Abad, and Chui regions, and then in the Talas Valley. Among melon crops, pumpkins, melons, watermelons, and others are cultivated. Melon growing is carried out by specialized peasant farms and adapted private households. A large number of watermelons are cultivated. Early-maturing watermelon varieties (65–75 days), mid-maturing (85–95 days), and late-maturing (120–140 days) are grown. Pumpkins come in three types: with thin, hard, and musky skins. Both feed and food pumpkins are cultivated. Favorable soil and climatic conditions in suitable areas allow for the cultivation of melon crops.
In 1995, all farms in the republic produced 23.2 thousand tons (compared to 56.2 thousand tons in 1990) of melon products. In 2000, 65.3 thousand tons of melon crops were harvested. In 2000, the production volume was 65.3 thousand tons or 245.5 million soms (in 1999, it was 186.8 million soms). Horticulture is one of the most important sectors of agriculture, practiced in Kyrgyzstan for a long time. Favorable climatic conditions allow for the cultivation of fruit and berry crops. The horticulture of Kyrgyzstan is characterized by a great diversity of species and varieties of fruit crops. Among the fruit and berry crops cultivated are: pome fruits (apple, pear, quince, etc.); stone fruits (cherry, plum, sweet cherry, cherry plum, apricot, peach, etc.); nut-bearing fruits (walnut, almond, pistachio, etc.); subtropical and citrus fruits (fig, pomegranate, jujube, lemon, etc.); and berries (strawberry, raspberry, currant, blackberry, barberry, etc.). In 2000, the area of fruit and berry crops was 48.7 thousand hectares (in 1990 — 47.7 thousand hectares), of which 42.7 thousand hectares entered the fruit-bearing age, including 29.5 thousand hectares of pome fruits and 9.3 thousand hectares of stone fruits. The yield was 42.7 centners per hectare.
The Kyrgyz Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture for the cultivation of fruit and berry crops divides the territory of Kyrgyzstan into the following zones. The Chui Valley is divided into three zones. In the Chui Valley, berry crops such as raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, red and black currant, and barberry are grown in the valley zone; at the foothills — apple, pear (ripening in summer and autumn); among stone fruits — cherry plum, cherry, plum, apricot; in the low mountains, in the mountainous zone — Almaty apple, winter golden pear, Kandyil-sinap, white rosemary, Almaty pear. At the foothills of the Talas Valley, apple, pear, and frost-resistant varieties of berry crops are grown; in the mountainous zone, winter varieties of apple, pear, cherry plum, and plum.
The western part of the zone passes through the borders of the villages: Tamchy (on the northern shore of the lake) and Bokonbaevo (on the southern) and occupies the western shore of the lake. The zone is characterized by a dry climate, constant winds, the absence of sharp temperature fluctuations, and severe frosts. Here, good varieties of fruit crops grow without damage, including stone fruits — apricot. The central part of the zone occupies the territory on the southern shore from Bokonbaevo to Kyzyl-Suu and from the north from Tamchy to Kuturga. The climatic conditions of the zone are most favorable for the widespread development of industrial horticulture. The climate is dry, and winter frosts do not cause damage to fruit trees. Within the central zone, there are areas very favorable for growing stone fruit crops. All varieties of apple, peach, apricot, cherry plum, and walnut are cultivated.
The eastern zone occupies the eastern part of the lake. The climatic conditions of the zone are most favorable for the industrial development of horticulture. Here, mainly apple and pear are grown. Peaches and apricots grow poorly. Southern Kyrgyzstan is divided into three fruit-growing zones. In southern Kyrgyzstan, there is the largest nut-bearing forest massif in the world. Here grow: walnut, apple, pear, cherry plum, almond, pistachio, currant, blackberry, and others. The valley zone of Southern Kyrgyzstan (at an altitude of 500–1000 m above sea level) includes the plain areas of the Fergana Valley. In this zone, all varieties of fruit and stone crops grow well, and among subtropical crops — fig, pomegranate, and varieties of apricots for dried fruits. Very favorable conditions for growing high-quality varieties of pome and stone fruit crops are found in the foothills of the Jany-Jol, Bazar-Korgon, Uzgen, and Nookat districts (1000-1400 m). In the mountainous zone (1400-2800 m), nut-bearing forests grow. Also, in this zone, favorable climatic conditions allow for the cultivation of pome and stone fruit crops of cultivated varieties. A unique zone in the Batken region is significant for the growth of apricots. The climatic conditions in the areas located in the Inner Tien Shan allow for the cultivation of apple, pear, cherry plum, plum, apricot, currant, and other fruit crops. Despite this, in this zone, horticulture is only practiced by private households. The northern region of Kyrgyzstan is where horticulture is well developed.
Viticulture. The spread of viticulture in northern Kyrgyzstan is associated with the activities of settlers from Moldova, while in the south it is due to the proximity of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The first state-owned vineyards were established in 1942, and by 1980 there were 14 of them. The area of vineyards exceeded 10 thousand hectares, with more than 80% in specialized state farms. In 1985, the area of vineyards was 9.9 thousand hectares. In recent years, their area has sharply decreased. In 1995, the area was 8.0 thousand hectares (compared to 9.2 thousand hectares in 1990), with a gross yield of 19.7 centners per hectare (compared to 43.2 centners per hectare in 1990). The yield of grapes in 1995 was 29.6 centners per hectare (compared to 63.2 centners per hectare in 1990). In 1999, farms produced 18.1 thousand tons of grapes, with a yield of 24.1 centners per hectare, of which state farms harvested 1.7 thousand tons, collective farms — 1.3 thousand tons, peasant (farmer) farms — 2.4 thousand tons, and private farms — 12.7 thousand tons. In 1999, 8095 tons of grapes were sold. The natural and climatic conditions allow for the cultivation of grapes in the Osh, Jalal-Abad, and Batken regions through irrigation.
Sericulture. Sericulture has been practiced in the republic for a long time in southern Kyrgyzstan. The natural and climatic conditions allow for the successful development of this sector of agriculture. However, in recent years, due to various objective and subjective reasons during the transition period, the situation in sericulture has significantly worsened. In the Osh region, 845 tons of raw cocoons were produced in 1990, 311 tons in 1995, 168 tons in 1996, 143 tons in 1997, 200 tons in 1998, 114 tons in 1999, and 101 tons in 2000. The decrease in cocoon production occurred in all districts and cities of the region. For example, in the Nookat district, not a single kilogram of cocoons has been produced since 1996. Below is an analysis of the production of mulberry silkworm cocoons by districts and cities of the Osh and Batken regions from 1990 to 2000.
The main reasons for the decline in cocoon production were the untimely sale of produced products and a decrease in the material interest of cocoon producers, i.e., sericulture has become an unprofitable sector in many farms. The raw material consumer, the joint-stock company "Osh-Jibek," does not strive to materially interest cocoon producers; on the contrary, as a monopolist, it dictated prices for cocoons, often issuing non-marketable materials instead of money for accepted cocoons from farms, and even at inflated prices. Additionally, the lack and high cost of fuel and energy resources led to the massive use of mulberry plantations as firewood in villages and settlements, with most mulberry plantations being allocated for the construction of individual houses. In 1990, the region had mulberry plantations covering 2269 hectares, and by 2000, only 1726 hectares remained, a reduction of 24%, while linear plantations decreased from 73.62 to 688.5 thousand trees. The felling of mulberry trees occurred everywhere, leading to a significant deterioration of the feed base. Particularly large losses of mulberry plantations occurred in the farms of the Aravan and Kara-Suu districts. The feed bases in the Nookat and Uzgen districts are in very poor condition. A similar situation exists in the Batken region.
Every year, the planting of new seedlings decreases in the districts. In 1995-96, not a single seedling was planted; in 1997, a total of 59 thousand seedlings were planted in the region; in 1998 — 53.7 thousand seedlings; in 2000 — 20 thousand seedlings. In recent years, the situation has worsened in the Osh breeding farm for sericulture, which is the only one in the republic engaged in the preparation of mulberry silkworm cocoons and the cultivation of mulberry seedlings. The decrease in cocoon production volume, the refusal of farms to purchase mulberry seedlings and silkworm cocoons, complicated the financial situation of the breeding farm. Annually, the breeding farm fails to sell a large number of silkworm cocoons and mulberry seedlings, which were grown with high costs. In 2000, a total of 1016.7 centners of raw mulberry silkworm cocoons were harvested in the region (319.1 centners more than the level of 1999). In 2001, 2600 boxes of breeding and industrial cocoons and 100 thousand mulberry seedlings were prepared for sale to the cocoon harvesting regions. The following table provides information on the harvesting of mulberry silkworm cocoons in 2000.
Oilseeds. In recent years, oilseeds have begun to be grown in all regions of the republic. In the early 1990s, oilseeds for the production of vegetable oil were grown on small areas. With the change in relationships with the CIS countries to meet the demand for vegetable oil, rural producers hastily began to expand the sown areas of oilseeds. Oilseeds provide a high income. In addition, farmers are provided with vegetable oil for the entire year. The growth in vegetable oil production was achieved through an increase in sown areas from 4.7 thousand hectares in 1991 to 57.1 thousand hectares in 2000.
