Fruit and berry crop losses in Kyrgyzstan are reaching up to 40 percent. Academician of the National Academy of Sciences Zhamin Akimaliev stated on Birinchi Radio.
According to him, the country is only 40-45 percent self-sufficient in fruit and berry crops.
«Although we have excellent local varieties. We generally produce a sufficient quantity of fruit and berry crops. The problem is the loss of harvested crops due to the lack of processing, marketing, and export, as well as during transportation,» Zhamin Akimaliev said.
He noted that only a minimal amount of the harvest is processed in the country, with the produce primarily consumed raw.
«If we want to be self-sufficient in fruit and berry crops, we need to increase the number of processing plants, improve marketing and export, and the state must support producers and processors. «Now this place has been taken over by resellers who buy agricultural products very cheaply and then sell them for much more,» Zhamin Akimaliev added.
