The event for the solemn handing over the certificates of solar dryers for 20 farmer groups in the Issyk-Kul region took place on July 10, 2018 in the village of Kyzyl-Suu in Jety-Oguz rayon. Leaders and members of farmers' groups, villagers, representatives of local authorities, heads of the AVEP Public Foundation – Nurlan Tokonov and The Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Finland in Astana - Katja Karppinen took part in the event.

As it was noted during the solemn opening of the event, the solar dryers were handed over to 20 farmers- women's groups within the Karagat + program as an investment support in the form of a grant. The dryer set includes a wooden cupboard for drying fruits and a solar collector. The fruit dryer operates by using the solar heated air. The dryers are fully developed by local artisans and made in a small workshop of the same village Kyzyl-Suu. The cost of each drying kit is 36 thousand KGS.
According to Raya Baymuratova, the coordinator of the Karagat + program on comprehensive economic development of the Issyk-Kul region, which has been implementing since 2013, 50 farmers- women's groups have been established in 50 villages of the Issyk-Kul region and work on 6 components of the program. Of the above total number of groups, 20 active groups were selected for drying fruits as per their projects’ plans.
As the head of the AVEP Public Foundation Nurlan Tokonov noted, each group that received a dryer, has committed itself to produce at least 1 ton of dried fruits during one season. In addition, they are going to provide schools and kindergartens of the region with their products.
As a reminder, 20 dryers delivered to farmers' groups have been produced in the framework of the project “Improving livelihoods and increasing food security of rural women in the Issyk-Kul region through the advancement of energy-efficient dryers”, which is being implemented with the financial support of the Embassy of Finland in Astana.