According to him, a significant portion of the vegetables and fruits offered on the market today is imported and inferior in quality and taste characteristics to local products that were produced in previous years. Akimaliev noted that the production of imported goods often involves the use of increased norms of mineral fertilizers, antibiotics, and hormones, as well as genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The academician pointed out that Kyrgyzstan has excellent natural conditions, such as clean air and water, which creates opportunities for the development of organic production in the country. He believes that food security should depend on domestic production rather than imports.
Additionally, Akimaliev emphasized the need for the accelerated establishment of processing plants to provide the population with products produced in the country.
Speaking about product quality control, he noted that the responsibility for overseeing imported products should lie with the relevant state authorities, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Processing Industry. The academician also called for stricter phytosanitary and sanitary control over imported goods.
Akimaliev added that instances of returning low-quality products do indeed occur; however, in his opinion, border control is not sufficiently effective.
