
Kemin, 4 May 2018 —
KyrSEFF Program organized a spring session and workshop for the farmers of Chui region. Earlier similar seminars were held in Osh and Dzhalal-Abad regions.
On May 4, 2018, a traditional KyrSEFF Spring Session called Green Technologies and Resource Efficiency for a Successful Business took place in the city of Kemin. It brought together more than 85 representatives of agribusiness and farming enterprises, technology suppliers, state authorities and media.
The representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Kemin district council, Kyrgyz Sustainable Energy Financing Facility – KyrSEFF, partner banks – KICB and Kompanion, technology supplying companies BiAST LLC, Akva Silver LLC, CIC LLC, Zhashyl Charba Agricultural Holding held presentations during the event devoted to the issues of the efficient development of the agricultural sector.
The seminar program consisted of two parts; the first one was class-room discussions and it included the presentations by the speakers. The second one was practical field visit, and during it, the participants visited a successful farmer enterprise that had implemented modern water saving measures.
The presentations of the speakers covered the topics of agricultural business development and management focused on resource efficiency and introduction and green technologies.
Nurzat Abdyrasulova, KyrSEFF Program National Manager, noted that the agricultural sector has a wide range of opportunities to increase resource efficiency and introduce renewable energy sources for farming and manufacturing premises.
“A timely transition to resource efficient development and the introduction of green technologies can significantly contribute to the solution of the crisis in the energy sector, address the issue of water and energy shortage, reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, promote the adaptation of business to the climate change and, simultaneously, improve the socio-economic situation,” – said Nurzat Abdyrasulova.
Bakyt Askarbekov, Financial Specialist of KyrSEFF, presented an in-depth overview of financing mechanisms supported by the Facility. He said that, since 2013, KyrSEFF has supported more than 105 different successful business projects, totaling USD 33 million and with grant incentives of more than USD 3,7 million provided by the European Union. It is worth noticing that the range of technologies, supported by KyrSEFF, is wide: from the insulation of a building to the replacement of a tractor with a better one which uses less fuel and is more efficient.
Another speaker of the event – Tilek Toktogaziev, Director of Zhashyl Charba Agricultural Holding, specializing in the manufacturing of greenhouses, told about different ways to increase the energy efficiency of greenhouses. For example, thermal blankets helped the company clients cut the consumption of coal by the greenhouses by half.
The necessity to increase the energy efficiency of greenhouses is economically feasible. A usual greenhouse spends 75% of the consumed energy on heating, 15% on electricity, and 10% on equipment. Energy efficient measures vary from standard to highly efficient heating and cooling systems.
Energy efficiency in the agricultural sector can also be increased through the installation of photovoltaic panels, drip irrigation systems, insulation of buildings and storehouses, etc.
An open, lively conversation among KyrSEFF specialists, suppliers, farmers, and farm managers took place during the seminar. It addressed the issues of financing, subsidizing, as well as other issues related to the development of individual entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector.
Summarizing the outputs of the first part of the meeting, Askarbek Sagynbaev, Head of the Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, pointed out that similar meetings have a positive impact on raising awareness among farmers: “2018 has been declared the Year of Regions Development. To be able to grow, one has to always keep searching, improving, and learning new opportunities. There are many ways to learn. Organizing and participating in today’s event means searching and learning.”
The practical part of the seminar took place at Omurbek Abdrahmanov’s farming enterprise. He grows a special variety of apples brought from Italy, and in order to water the trees, he has installed a modern drip irrigation system.
The participants visited the apple orchard and observed the drip irrigation system.
The participants of the seminar underlined the importance of the event where they got useful information on new technologies and farming enterprise management with an accent on resource efficiency, discussed pressing issues, and exchanged experience with their colleagues.
All participants thanked the organizers for the seminar and expressed their hope that KyrSEFF program will hold similar events in the future.
The event was supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU).
Pictures from the session is available in Facebook page of the KyrSEFF: