On 18 March 2024, a seminar on farmer cooperation was held in the city of Osh with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Central Asia and the KOICA\Good Neighbours project ‘Comprehensive Development of Villages in the Kyrgyz Republic’. The seminar was organised by the AgroLead Public Association in conjunction with the SKS Jalal-Abad Public Foundation.

The seminar was attended by more than 130 representatives of existing and new cooperatives, as well as farmers wishing to establish cooperatives from the Osh, Jalal-Abad, Batken, Chui and Naryn regions. The seminar was conducted by Dutch expert Igo Jansen, who has 25 years of practical experience in developing cooperatives in the Netherlands and other countries. The official part of the seminar consisted of a welcome speech by Mr. Ari Veldhuizen, Agricultural Attaché of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Central Asia, and Mr. Won Il Hyong, Project Manager of KOICA\Good Neighbors ‘Comprehensive Rural Development in the Kyrgyz Republic’. During the seminar, the experiences of the Netherlands and Kyrgyzstan in cooperation were presented, key factors for success in the development of cooperatives were discussed, as well as the challenges that arise in the process of creating and developing cooperatives. Participants asked many questions about cooperative management, principles of cooperation, sustainability of cooperatives, necessary documentation, and taxation. Overall, participants noted that the seminar was useful and informative. At the end of the seminar, a meeting was held with Mr. Ari Veldhuizen, Agricultural Attaché of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Central Asia, on the possibility of further cooperation in this area.

We would like to express our gratitude to cooperatives, interested parties and partners for their cooperation!