In 1998, Kyrgyzstan's crop-producing land amounted to 1,425,000 ha (3,521,000 acres), or 7.4% of the total land area. About 50% of this area is
In 1998, Kyrgyzstan's crop-producing land amounted to 1,425,000 ha (3,521,000 acres), or 7.4% of the total land area. About 50% of this area is used to cultivate fodder crops, 42% for winter wheat and barley, 5% for commercial crops (cotton, sugar beets, mulberry trees for silkworms, and tobacco), with the remaining 3% used for growing potatoes and other vegetables. Cultivation occurs primarily in the Shu, Talas, and Fergana valleys. About 38% of GDP was derived from agriculture in 2001. Since independence, about 75% of state farms have been privatized.
Wheat is Kyrgyzstan's main grain crop. Total wheat production was estimated at 1,105,000 tons in 1999. Individual farmers account for over half of production; state farms, about 40%; and the rest by private households. Production of barley in 1999 was estimated at 191,000 tons; corn, 308,000 tons; and rice, 14,000 tons.
Tobacco is an important cash crop in Kyrgyzstan. The areas around Osh and Jalalabad in the Fergana Valley and the Talas oblast to the north of Osh are the three major tobacco growing regions. The estimated total production was 30,000 tons in 1999.