Arable Land Reclamation Project Completed at Lipenka and Ak-Dobo

published: 30 October 2013

Representatives of village administrations, local residents and the KR Government’s envoy in Issyk-Kul province Emilbek Kaptagayev have taken part in the symbolic ceremony of returning 2,000 hectares of land surrounding the villages of Lipenka and Ak-Dobo to agriculture. Work in the both areas began back last May and was done by the Kyrgyz Agrobusiness Supply and Development Project (KAED) with the financial support of Kumtor Company.

«This event is important for the district. Two $200.000 irrigation facilities have been completed and commissioned. Kumtor and KAED have made it possible to provide irrigation to about 2,000 hectares of agricultural land at Lipenka and Ak-Dobo», said Emilbek Kaptagayev.

«We have achieved excellent results. Farmers have been enabled to expand their businesses. The village administration, in its turn, can now increase their budgets by leasing land», commented Kumtor’s Sustainable Development Director Douglas Grier.

Productivity of the newly irrigated land is expected to grow by at least 50% in the next few years provided the farmers make use of advanced methods of increasing land productivity and fertility. In November 2013 KAED experts will continue to advise farmers and help local self-government authorities to organize a reclaimed land lease auction.

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Also, the 14,000 cubic meter Samat Kol dam, irrigation canals, a pumping station and transformer substations have been built in the reclaimed area at Lipenka. The project has provided immediate irrigation to 1,250 hectares while 750 hectares will indirectly benefit from the project. The Ak-Dobo area project has resulted in the rebuilding of a 25,000 cubic meter daily run-off pond and a number of irrigation channels.