Entrepreneur and former Minister of Agriculture, Food Industry, and Melioration of Kyrgyzstan, Tilek Toktogaziev explained why he is attending the B5+1 business forum and what opportunities it opens for the country.
- Why did you choose to participate in the B5+1 summit? Do you have experience working with the USA and what are your thoughts on joint business projects?
- I see two key directions for Kyrgyzstan: importing technologies from the USA and exporting our products. However, we cannot just send goods, as logistics costs are significantly high.
For the first time in history, we exported a truckload of garlic, and the transportation alone cost 15 thousand dollars, not including other expenses. In comparison, the delivery of Chinese garlic costs only 2 thousand dollars. Due to the lack of access to the sea, our products automatically become expensive, and we can only export premium goods. We need to focus on unique offerings in the "luxury" segment.
On the other hand, we import technologies from the USA, such as strawberry seedlings. While we harvest 8-9 tons per hectare, in the USA it’s 70-80 tons. I studied this issue in California. Their strawberries are bred by the strongest breeders and are environmentally friendly. The USA invests millions of dollars in science to create seeds that are resistant to various diseases. Did you know that the United States even exports rice to Southeast Asia?
All of this is a result of high technology. What requires the efforts of dozens of workers here can be done by one farmer in the USA using modern combines. Agriculture there functions as a unified modern system, and farmers understand the importance of science and innovation. They are united in associations and voluntarily make contributions to breeding development. That is, farmers consciously choose quality seeds themselves, rather than waiting for the ministry to persuade them.
- Do you mean that Kyrgyzstan is lagging behind? Will our people be able to quickly adapt and utilize natural resources?
- The law is simple: either you change, or you disappear! It is necessary to learn and adapt quickly - this is the law of evolution. All species that could not adapt to new conditions or did so too slowly have become extinct.
- What are the results of the forum for Kyrgyzstan?
- First of all, it’s the opportunities that are opening up. Whether we use them or not depends on us. I apply these chances in my projects, and the country should do the same.
Every speech, whether from an official, banker, or entrepreneur, should be a clear signal. Every word should be reasoned and precisely directed. This is a message for the American and international business community. In five minutes of speaking, one can either attract attention and investment to Kyrgyzstan or miss all opportunities.
