Akimaliev noted that in the address of President Sadyr Japarov made last year, key attention was given to the development of the agro-industrial complex. In this context, emphasis was placed on the processing of agricultural products and organic farming.
Over the past four years, Kyrgyzstan has managed to increase its level of food self-sufficiency. Previously, the country could only provide itself with three main products — milk, potatoes, and vegetables, but now sugar, meat, and eggs have been added to this list. Thus, six out of nine critically important food security products are now produced domestically.
However, according to the academician, Kyrgyzstan still heavily depends on imports. About 50% of wheat, up to 80% of vegetable oil, and approximately 55% of fruits and berries come from abroad. Despite the growth in domestic production of berries and fruits, which reached nearly 400,000 tons in 2024, a significant portion of the products is lost due to a lack of processing.
According to various estimates, losses in the area of fruit and berry production can reach 40%. The level of processing is only 5-10%, whereas during Soviet times, more than 50% of the harvest was processed. A similar situation is observed in other sectors: only about 1% of the total volume of meat produced is processed, as well as insignificant volumes of apricots and other crops.
As an example, Akimaliev mentioned the Batken apricot, which is sold at a low price in the domestic market, then processed outside the country and sold at a much higher price. He also emphasized that the lack of sales leads to fruits and berries, especially in the Issyk-Kul region, remaining unsold and going to waste.
The key task, in the scientist's opinion, is to create processing enterprises and logistics centers. He believes that without this, it is impossible to ensure the country's food security. Akimaliev also added that processing in modern conditions is no less important, and sometimes even a more complex task than production itself.
One of the goals outlined by the president is to increase the level of agricultural product processing to 25% within the next five years. The academician is convinced that achieving this goal requires attracting investments and creating favorable conditions for the processing industry.
