The project "Vegetable Growing", funded by the International Seed Fund (SPI - Seed Programs International) and implemented by the public fund AVEP, has been extended for 2 years.

This year, new villages of Tort-Kul, Kara-Koo, Bokonbaev, Ton district were added to the project, as well as a new component of corn cultivation, home-made silage and livestock fattening.

In March, a seminar on the implementation of the project was held in the village of Bokonbaeva. The seminar was attended by last year's participants and leaders of farmer groups formed in the newly attached villages. During the seminar, activities to be carried out within the framework of the project, expected results were presented and work plans were drawn up. Estimates of small investments that will be provided under the project were discussed.

Chynybayeva Gulsara Sulaimanovna, a resident of the village of Chelpek, Ak-Suu district. She took part in the project for the integrated development of the economy of the Issyk-Kul region "KARAGAT +", implemented by the public fund "AVEP" in 2013-2018, and received seedlings of new varieties of black currant and raspberry. Participated in trainings on cultivation, processing of fruits and business planning, conducted within the framework of the project. As an active participant in the project, she was awarded with an equipment for drying fruits. To date, she has organized a nursery, grows seedlings of black currant, raspberry and promotes the spread of new varieties of black currant in Issyk-Kul. She teaches others what she learned herself, helping them to get a good harvest and opened a small family business for processing fruits and berries. Her husband Bektur strongly supports Gulsara's activities. This year, the apricot harvest was plentiful and the price was cheap, but Gulsara took advantage of this situation, prepared dried fruits and made several types of jam. She is currently selling them and making a profit. This friendly, enterprising family raised 6 children, brought them up educated and hardworking.

3 farmers of the Temir village opened a joint venture "Temir-Bakyt" and organized a nursery on a plot of 40 acres. In 2015, the became a member of the nursery association created within the framework of the KARAGAT + project. Within the framework of the project, members of the association were provided with acceptable assistance, seedlings of new varieties of red, black, white currants, raspberries, apples, pears and apricots from Poland and Altai were transferred. In addition, they took part in capacity building and horticulture trainings organized by the project and traveled to Poland to exchange experiences.

Today each of them has their own nurseries. One of them, Derkembaev Olzhon, expanded the nursery to 1.5 hectares and supplies high-quality fruit seedlings not only to the Issyk-Kul region, but also to gardeners in other regions. “When we first started, there were difficulties, but gradually we gained experience, every time we received orders from customers, we were very enthusiastic about our work, worked together with the family and today we see the fruits of our labor. The work of the nursery has become the main source of income for our family,” says the gardener.

Hot meals at school will provide the children's body with microelements, prevent anemia, and have a positive effect on physical development. One of the main goals of the Vegetable Production project is to provide schools with vegetables and provide students with additional vitamin nutrition. Today, in secondary schools named after R. Dzhangaziev in Kara-Koo village and B. Mambetov in Tort-Kul village, vegetables grown under this project are used as a supplement to hot lunches served at the school.

Vegetables grown at the demonstration plot of the vocational school #81 in the village of Bokonbaev are used as additional food for three meals a day for students living and studying in the hostel, and for lunch for students of budgetary courses.

The Vegetable Growing project is funded by the International Seed Program (SPI - Seed Programs International) and implemented by the public fund AVEP in the villages of Shor-Bulak, Kara-Koo, Eshperov, Tort-Kul, Bokonbaeva, Ton district.