Bishkek, Oct.16, 2024. /Kabar/. FAO intends to include Kyrgyzstan in the Soil Doctors Program, FAO representative in the Kyrgyz Republic Oleg Guchgeldiev said on the air of Birinchi Radio on Wednesday.
He noted that climate change leads to the fact that there are new pests, new diseases and therefore knowledge and early warning system play a big role here, he said.
“We are now thinking that it is necessary to expand the network of agrometeorological stations, because there is a methodology and on the basis of certain data it is possible to forecast and advise farmers what to do in a particular situation.
Another area is the use of fertilizers and pesticides. It should be controlled and should bring more benefit and less harm. That is why we are now thinking to offer Kyrgyzstan to join the Global Soil Doctors Programme, where we will train farmers, relevant state institutions to provide advice on soil condition. This will also help to reduce the load on soils, in terms of chemicalization, and will also help farmers to get more profit and benefit from the soil. Globally almost 5th part of fertilizers are used unsustainably, that is to reduce the use of fertilizers and finally use more organic fertilizers for pest control,” Guchgeldiev noted.
He also stressed that organic agriculture is a solution for sensitive ecosystems such as mountainous ecosystems, in this case for Kyrgyzstan.
“The introduction and promotion of organic agriculture can be one of the solutions that does not affect the living world. Currently, all regions of Kyrgyzstan are fighting locusts, it is an annual problem. This year we used biological methods of control when all insects except locusts remain alive, when all the diversity around remains alive and this will help to preserve sensitive flora and plus the country is a supplier of water to other countries and it is necessary to keep nature clean,” the FAO representative added.
The Global Soil Doctors Programme is a farmer-to-farmer training initiative that aims to build the capacity of farmers on sustainable soil management while supporting national governments and stakeholders in addressing the needs of their rural communities. This online platform provides support for farmers, policy makers, development planners, agricultural extension workers, NGOs, private sectors and any other practitioner/stakeholder interested in transmitting the importance of soil as a vital resource.