The Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS, President Seung-Hun Chun) dispatched the Project Manager(PM), Lee Min-ho, to the Bishkek and Issyk-kul region for the 3rd expert dispatch of the “Organic Agriculture Policy-Implementation Support and Capacity Building Project” in the Kyrgyz Republic.
The PM and local senior consultants were dispatched to the project site in order to resume and proceed with the delayed tasks due to the global and local spread of COVID-19 after the 2nd kick-off survey in early 2020. The team was dispatched for four weeks to conduct an Infrastructure support Feasibility Survey, plan and partially implement the organic agricultural expert Training of Trainers(ToT) program, hold a PIU meeting, monitor the status of local Baseline Surveys, and inspect operation and management of the PMC field office.
Infrastructure support Feasibility Survey activities were implemented by PM, local consultants from the field office, and two local senior consultants specializing in agriculture, conducting competency assessments and holding briefing sessions for the agriculture cooperatives within the project sites. In addition, investigation on the local procurement conditions for production and distribution infrastructure facilities and materials, environmental regulations and tax affairs related to infrastructure construction, and the progress of incorporating the operating entity were carried out. The final results of the Feasibility Survey were reported at the PIU meeting on February 26, 2021, with the attendance of PIU members of the KOICA Kyrgyzstan Office, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Industry and Melioration(MoAFIM), the Department of Organic Agriculture Development(DOAD), and the FAO Kyrygz Office, and the list of infrastructure support will be finalized after the final approval of KOICA.
During the dispatch, the first-year ToT trainees were selected through a meeting with the Vice Minister of the MoAFIM and the Director-General of the DOAD. The PM conducted an orientation workshop on ToT program and a Pre-ToT course on March 1, 2021, for the first-year trainees following prior consultation with IFOAM-OI. Through the Orientation and Pre-ToT course, the related Kyrgyz institutions and the first-year trainees have increased their understanding of the first-year ToT course, which will be held in May of this year. Also, it will lead to active cooperation and participation in the future. In addition, regarding the performance research activities entrusted to a local institute(M-Vector) since January 2021, the PM monitored the baseline survey site and provided feedback on the precautions for each survey activity and survey subject to ensure accurate baseline findings can be obtained.
Prior to the resumption and full-fledged implementation of tasks in 2021 aligned with the deceleration of COVID-19 spreading, the 3rd expert dispatch reaffirmed the understanding and cooperation structure for the activities composing this project. In particular, it is meaningful that through the PIU meeting involving major stakeholders of the project, the PMC’s overall project performance results, current status and plans, and infrastructure Feasibility Survey results were shared as well as confirming the PSC meeting schedule (within May 2021).
KDS aims to increase the income of farming households by establishing organic agriculture infrastructure and strengthening the marketability of organic agriculture in the Kyrgyz Republic from 2019 to 2023 with the following activities △Operation of an organic agriculture implementation capacity building training program △Establishment of an organic value chain (Support the formation and active operation of organic agriculture cooperatives, expansion of distribution in domestic and export markets, and the implementation of organic agriculture infrastructure.
***KDS plans to operate the organic agricultural expert ToT program and organic agriculture implementation capacity building training program from May to October 2021 and to procure infrastructure support in the second half of 2021.
