In Kyrgyzstan, farmers who implement modern irrigation methods will be offered loans at an unprecedentedly low interest rate. This was announced by Bakyt Torobaev, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, at a meeting of the Jogorku Kenesh.
The minister noted that loans at 2% per annum will be available to those who use drip and sprinkler irrigation starting next month. This decision aims to help agrarians use the country's water resources more efficiently.
One of the ministry's priorities is to maintain the ecological balance in the Pre-Issyk-Kul region. Bakyt Torobaev emphasized the need for a complete transition of the Issyk-Kul region to modern irrigation technologies.
He added: "The transition to drip irrigation will ensure a greater inflow of water into Lake Issyk-Kul. If we continue to use outdated methods, the water may not reach the lake. Therefore, our task is to fully transition the region to drip and sprinkler irrigation."
It is worth noting that earlier, within the framework of the "FSH-14" project, a preferential rate of 6% was established for the agricultural sector. Thus, the new rate of 2% for water-saving technologies will be the lowest among state support programs for farmers.
