Promoting pulses production and consumption in Kyrgyzstan

With the International Year of Pulses fully underway, countries across the world are showing their support by promoting pulses in their agriculture and food systems. One such country is Kyrgyzstan, where FAO is working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture to promote the IYP by raising awareness about the important crops.

Kyrgyzstan grows beans in three oblasts: Talas, Batken and Chui. Because of the high cost of fertilizers, Kyrgyz farmers grow their beans more or less organically, without the use of chemical inputs. This “ecological purity” of Kyrgyz beans attracts consumers and wholesale buyers alike, but there is very little demand inside the country. In fact, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, almost 80 percent of Kyrgyz beans are exported, mainly to Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Georgia, Iran and Afghanistan.

Beans and pulses are not part of the traditional Kyrgyz diet, which centres heavily on high caloric foods like meat, dairy, breads and pastries. Regular vegetable consumption is low, and many Kyrgyz people do not get the amounts of minerals, nutrients and healthy fats that are recommended for a balanced diet.

However, diet patterns are slowly changing, and FAO and the Kyrgyz government aim to bolster this trend by promoting the consumption of locally grown pulses. In a newly launched project, the two entities will work together closely to raise awareness about the benefits of pulses and help popularize them in schools and households. The project will also highlight the great potential for new economic opportunities in pulses cultivation, as they are currently a high-value crop.

Several outputs and activities will be developed and launched in the coming months, including the publication of informational materials and manuals on pulses in both Kyrgyz and Russian. There will also be a series of round table meetings focusing on pulses and the nutrition of the Kyrgyz population. Children will learn about pulses through newly developed books and magazines, which will also feature in exhibitions at libraries across the country, as well as at the annual Festival of Education.

The project will also focus on popularizing pulses for home cooks and at restaurants. Numerous restaurants and a large mall in the capital city of Bishkek have signed on to support a Pulses Day campaign, and pulses master cooking classes will be offered at select locations. A collection of curated recipes from around the world that can be easily adapted to Kyrgyz kitchens will be released, and later published as a cookbook.

Additionally, the Kyrgz government and FAO will work with local media outlets to produce and broadcast short video and audio advertisements on national TV and radio networks in an effort to reach a wider audience.

The government is currently putting together a strategy on the production of beans in the country, which comes at an opportune moment as the IYP project hopes to generate more demand for pulses crops. The project will run continuously throughout the year, wrapping up at the end of December 2016.

17/06/2016