The Government of Japan has contributed USD 4.5 million to support a new resilience-building initiative led by the World Food Programme (WFP) in the Kyrgyz Republic. Implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry, the project aims to strengthen climate-resilient agricultural value chains and support 17,000 smallholder farmers in some of the country’s most climate-vulnerable southern regions.
Agriculture remains a primary source of livelihood for rural communities across Kyrgyzstan, but increasing water scarcity and climate variability are placing growing pressure on farmers. The initiative will focus on Batken, Jalal-Abad, and Osh provinces, helping farmers adopt climate-smart agricultural practices to improve productivity, enhance incomes, and build long-term resilience to environmental shocks.
Under the programme, farmers will receive high-quality seedlings and climate-resilient greenhouse systems equipped with drip irrigation, water storage facilities, organic composting systems, and small storage units designed to reduce post-harvest losses. In addition to infrastructure support, the project will provide training in climate-smart farming techniques, post-harvest management, financial literacy, and cooperative governance to strengthen market access and promote sustainable land and water use.
The initiative aligns with Kyrgyzstan’s National Development Program until 2030 and the Food Security and Nutrition Program 2025–2030, reinforcing national priorities to enhance agricultural productivity and strengthen rural cooperatives. The project will also benefit from technical support and oversight from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), contributing to the Ministry’s master plan for berry and vegetable value chain development through a cluster-based approach.
Japan has been a longstanding strategic partner of WFP in Kyrgyzstan, previously supporting emergency responses during the Batken crisis, promoting climate-smart agriculture, and advancing market-oriented public-private partnerships. This new contribution is expected to further strengthen rural resilience, improve farmers’ livelihoods, and support sustainable economic development in the Kyrgyz Republic.
