Export-oriented producers in the Kyrgyz Republic

Company profiles:

  1. Advantex LLC, OIMOfoods trademark
  2. Altyn Aimak (Golden Valley) LLC
  3. DANECO LLC
  4. Daud-AS LLC
  5. Eco-Zolotoy Sad» (Eco-Golden Garden) LLC
  6. EcoFloris LLC, Bouquets of Issyk-Kul trademark
  7. Agricultural cooperative Erkin Myrza-Ake
  8. Farmers Organic Garden LLC, MIRVA trademark
  9. Gedik LLC
  10. GLOBAL AGRO LLC
  11. Interfruit LLC
  12. Nurbolot LLC
  13. Orjemil Holding Company
  14. OSKO LLC
  15. One Village One Product (OVOP) Association
  16. Individual entrepreneur Subankulov
  17. Individual Entrepreneur Sultanalieva
  18. Sun Planet Organic LLC
  19. Verde Vita Trade LLC, Kaunis trademark
  20. Zolotoi Oreh (Golden Nut) LLC

The dried fruit and nuts sector in Kyrgyzstan in figures

Dried fruit and nuts — general

According to the Trade Map statistics of the International Trade Centre (ITC) in 2020 Kyrgyzstan exported USD 28.305 million in dried fruit & nuts to the top ten importers. The top three were Russia (USD 23.071 million), Turkey (USD 1.778 million) and Germany (USD 1.142 million) (1).

According to a study issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2017 (2):

  • Fruit is grown on 48,200 ha of Kyrgyzstan’s territory, with a potential annual harvest of more than 200,000 t and a potential yield of circa 50 centners/ha.
  • 96% of the dried fruit producers in Kyrgyzstan use local raw materials, including the 22% who have their own raw material base.
  • Kyrgyzstan is considered fully self-sufficient in fruit and could potentially export 30-40% of its harvest in fresh or dried fruit.
  • The standing specific gravity of processed fruit is 13-15%, leaving plenty of space for further processing for the domestic and foreign markets.
  • On average in 2014-2016 the EU imported just over EUR 1.4 million worth of dried fruit per year from Kyrgyzstan, with an annual growth of almost 70% in 2012-2016.

According to https://oec.world/, in 2019 Kyrgyzstan exported USD 10.6 million in dried fruit, primarily to Russia (60.7%), but also to Germany (8.52%) and Belgium (1.15%) (3).

Organic horticulture

According to a study issued by the FAO in 2020 (4):

  • There are an estimated 19,327 ha of certified organic agricultural land in Kyrgyzstan, making up an estimated 0.2% of the country’s total agricultural land.
  • The land under organic management used for the growing of temperate fruit in Kyrgyzstan comprises 2,308 ha. (Cotton is grown on 7,920 ha of certified organic land).
  • For pulses, vegetables and oils seeds the figures are 406 ha, 49 ha and 5 ha respectively.

Apricots

Harvest: June, July, August.

According to a study issued by the FAO in 2017 (2):

  • The average annual apricot harvest in Kyrgyzstan is 50-70,000 t, on around 10,000 ha.
  • 70% of it is grown in the Batken region and 13% in the Osh region, both in the south of the country. In the Batken region 20% of the harvest is processed, of which 55% as dried fruit.
  • Around 85% of Kyrgyzstan’s total apricot harvest is exported fresh, of which 90% to Tajikistan, which is then processed for reexport, primarily to Russia.
  • Each year 25% of the apricot harvest is lost, leaving around 17,500 t that could be processed into up to 5,5001 in dried apricots — a great opportunity for export.

According to data collected by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and to ITC data, the country’s recent production and export volumes of (dried) apricots were as follows (5,1):

Production fresh apricots

201753,098 tonnes
201861,463 tonnes
201969,829 tonnes
202069,263 tonnes

Production fresh apricots

2017USD 2,482,000
2018USD 2,578,000
2019USD 4,483,000
2020USD 5,830,000 (13,277 tonnes), of which USD 5,146,000 to Russia

According to https://oec.world/, in 2019 Kyrgyzstan exported USD 4.46 million in dried apricots, primarily to Russia (67.8%), Iraq (11.6%), China (9.73%) and Kazakhstan (8.82%). Thereby it was the 9th largest exporter of the product in the world (6).

Plums

Harvest: September, October.
According to a study issued by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2018 (7):

— The Jalal-Abad region in the south of Kyrgyzstan produces 90% of the country’s total plum harvest (including blackthorns).

— A recent estimate of the total annual plum production volume in the Jalal-Abad region is 15-20,000 t, from 3-4,000 ha. The total land area of plum growing in Kyrgyzstan is 5,000 ha.

— Plum growing in the Jalal-Abad region is highly concentrated in four districts, with some villages producing up to 800 t of the fresh fruit per year (primarily wild plums).

— For 1997-2016 for plums and blackthorn, the FAO’s statistics report an average annual production growth of 14%, from 3,000 t to 11,083 t.

— During that period the yield increased nearly threefold, to 61,580 hg/ha, although with considerable fluctuation.

Production fresh plums

According to data collected by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and to ITC data, the country’s recent production and export volumes of (dried) plums were as follows (8,1):

201721,574 tonnes— 2017USD 844,000
201814,277 tonnes— 2018USD 2,541,000
201913,293 tonnes— 2019USD 938,000
20209,879 tonnes— 2020USD 491,000 (578 tonnes) to
Export dried plums the top four exporters, of which USD 42,000 to Germany

According to https://oec.world/, in 2019 Kyrgyzstan exported USD 990,000 in dried plums, primarily to Germany (30.7%) and Russia (29.1%), but also to Belgium (12.3%) and the Netherlands (3.95%). Thereby it was the 26th largest exporter of the product in the world (9).

Walnuts

Harvest: September, October, November.

According to a study issued by the FAO in 2017, at the time the territory of walnut growing in Kyrgyzstan comprised 47,000 ha (the analogous figure for the US was 91,900 ha). In 2014-2016 Kyrgyzstan exported an annual average of EUR 0.80 million in shelled walnuts to the EU (2).

Walnuts in Kyrgyzstan are primarily grown in the Bazar-Korgon, Nooken and Suzak districts of the Jalal-Abad region in the south of the country (2). The area covered by walnut forests in Bazar-Korgon spans 13,000 ha (10). At its heart is the highland forest of Arslanbob (photo below), the world’s largest natural walnut grove and single source of walnuts, with an annual harvest of 1,000-1,500 t (11).

According to data collected by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and to ITC data, the country’s recent production and export volumes of walnuts were as follows (12,1):

Production:

20172,333 tonnes
20182,508 tonnes
20192,716 tonnes
20202,071 tonnes

Production:

2017USD 5,567,000 shelled, USD 504,000 unshelled
2018USD 4,491,000 shelled, USD 308,000 unshelled
2019USD 2,032,000 shelled, USD 3,957,000 unshelled
2020USD 6,870,000 shelled (2,386 tonnes), of which USD 239,000 to Germany


According to https://oec.world/, in 2019 Kyrgyzstan exported USD 2.22 million in shelled walnuts, primarily to Turkey (29.9%), Russia (21.9%) and Germany (14.3%) (13).

Apples and other fruit and nuts

According to a study issued by the ILO in 2018, apples are the most harvested fruit in Kyrgyzstan, collected wild or cultivated throughout the country on a total area of 45,500 ha (7).

According to a study issued by the FAO in 2017, on average 255,000 t of apples are harvested in Kyrgyzstan each year. Around 35% of the harvest is exported fresh to Russia and Kazakhstan and 36% is lost or used as feed. Thus there is much potential for further processing for export (2).

According to the Trade Map statistics of the ITC, in 2020 Kyrgyzstan exported USD 1.508 million in dried apples to the top three importers, USD 804,000 of which to Germany, USD 443,000 to Turkey and USD 261,000 to Russia. This amounted to 4,670 tonnes (556 tonnes to Germany, 1,030 tonnes to Turkey and 3,084 tonnes to Russia) (1).

According to https://oec.world/, in 2019 Kyrgyzstan exported USD 2.56 million in dried apples, primarily to Russia (39.8%), Turkey (31.2%) and Germany (23.1%). Thereby it was the 14th largest exporter of the product in the world (14). That year it also exported:

  • USD 2.62 million in pistachios, with Italy (27.5%) as the main destination, which made Kyrgyzstan the 25th largest exporter of the product in the world (15).
  • USD 409,000 in shelled almonds, primarily to Italy (37.6%) and Germany (29.9%) (16).
  • USD 18,800 in uncooked, steamed or boiled frozen strawberries, primarily to Kazakhstan (55.7%) and Russia (25.9%), but also to the United States (10.3%) (17).
  • USD 13,500 in uncooked, steamed or boiled frozen raspberries, mulberries and similar berries, primarily to Russia (69.8%) and the United States (21.9%) (18).

Sources

  • Data retrieved in August 2021 from the Trade Map database of the International Trade Centre (ITC) (https://www.trademap.org/)
  • Valery Pyatnitsky (December 2017) Export of dried fruit, walnuts, beans and honey to the European Union: A practical guide for Kyrgyzstani agribusiness (in Russian only). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:

http://mineconom.gov.kg/froala/uploads/file/8f77237306cc0261ea92a26e3349ef8636cfb411.pdf