In an interview with a Turmush correspondent, Uzakova noted that initially, the storage facilities in their village were left unused. However, a few years ago, the locals decided to unite and create a cooperative. Today, there is a modern fruit storage facility that can hold up to 600 tons. “Our warehouse has three chambers, each capable of holding 200 tons. Currently, we are storing over 400 tons of winter apple varieties. For their quality storage, we control humidity and temperature — the chambers maintain 0 degrees and about 90% humidity. Periodically, we place containers with water to keep the humidity level stable,” she explained.
The cooperative operates without breaks throughout the year. In the summer, they purchase apricots from local residents for processing, in the spring and autumn, they accept pears and apples, and in the winter, they produce juices that are sent to small shops in the capital. “This year, we collected about 80 tons of apricot puree and 50 tons of apple puree. From these supplies, we will produce juices throughout the winter and send them to shops in Bishkek. The apples can be stored until May, and the villagers will be able to sell them for no less than 100 soms per kilogram,” Uzakova added.
She also reported that next year the cooperative plans to expand — they want to open a new workshop and install an additional storage chamber. “The demand for our products is growing, work is ongoing year-round, so we plan to increase production capacity,” she concluded.
