The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan have launched a new project to strengthen climate‑resilient agricultural value chains and support 17,000 smallholder farmers in southern regions of Kyrgyzstan. The project is supported with $4.5 million from the government of Japan, according to WFP in Kyrgyzstan.
“Japan is pleased to support this initiative, which contributes to sustainable rural development in the Kyrgyz Republic,” Japanese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Hirano Ryuichi said at the project’s signing ceremony in Bishkek. “Through this project, we aim to strengthen food systems and empower smallholder farmers to achieve long-term food security and economic stability.”
The project will support farmers in Batken, Jalal‑Abad, and Osh regions to adopt climate‑smart farming practices, improve productivity and incomes, and build long‑term resilience.
“The partnership reflects our shared commitment to supporting the implementation of the National Development Program of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2030 and the Food Security and Nutrition Program 2025-2030,” said Kojiro Nakai, WFP Representative and Country Director in the Kyrgyz Republic. “Given the recent water stresses and weather anomalies, investing in climate-smart solutions, will help smallholder farmers build sustainable livelihoods resilient to climate hazards.”
Farmers will receive high‑quality seedlings and climate‑resilient greenhouses with drip irrigation, water storage, organic composting and small storage units to cut post‑harvest losses.
The project will also provide training in climate‑smart agriculture, post‑harvest handling, financial management, and cooperative governance to strengthen farmers’ market linkages and promote sustainable land and water use.
“This initiative supports our national priorities to boost agricultural productivity and strengthen agricultural cooperatives to ultimately build resilience among farmers,” said Mirbek Duisheev, Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry.
The project will be implemented with technical support and oversight from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), contributing to the ministry’s master plan for value chain development of berries and vegetables through a cluster‑based approach.
