Enhancing climate resilience in Kyrgyz agriculture: Seed system analysis

Our team was commissioned by the Agency for Development Initiatives and FAO to analyze the seed system in 2021 under the project “Enabling Climate Resilience in Agriculture” (TCP/RER/3802). For this assessment, a methodological framework developed by Gonzalo Tejada L was employed. Data analysis was carried out using interviews collected during fieldwork with key personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Regional Development, the Kyrgyz Agricultural Research Institute, the Livestock and Pasture Research Institute and large seed farms.

Identified key issues:

• Limited seed diversity – Kyrgyz agriculture faces a shortage of domestic seed varieties and is heavily dependent on imports.
• Gaps in legislation – outdated or non-existent national legislation governing the seed system is a significant problem.
• Lack of qualification – there is a lack of qualification in the country to develop, conserve and increase local seed varieties.
• Lack of knowledge – farmers do not have access to high quality seeds and their awareness of the importance of plant genetic resources management is poor.

Categories of evaluation:

• Plant breeding – evaluating current practices to develop new plant varieties.
• Seed production, distribution and use – analyzing the entire seed production cycle, from production to utilization.
• Governance and sustainability – exploring common practices of governance and sustainability of the seed production system.

Our paper aims to provide an insight into the challenges faced by Kyrgyz agriculture, especially in the seed sector. Information is presented and categorized according to a rigorous assessment methodology, offering a detailed understanding of plant breeding, seed production and the overall agricultural context.

Join us in creating a sustainable future for agriculture in Kyrgyzstan!