Kyrgyz shepherds will help Italian farmers preserve agricultural traditions
Italian farmers, faced with a labor shortage, turned to their colleagues in Kyrgyzstan for help.
Trade group Coldiretti has signed an agreement with the Kyrgyz Ministry of Labor that allows Kyrgyz shepherds and their families to work in areas of Sardinia, The Financial Times reports. This is the first pilot project of its kind to combat the loss of agricultural traditions on the island.
Kyrgyz shepherds have experience in agriculture, in particular in the production of cheese from goat and sheep milk, as well as in horse breeding. These skills are highly valued in Sardinia, which is famous for its meat and dairy production, as well as its beach resorts. However, the island's economy has suffered due to the exodus of younger generations to the cities and the declining share of agriculture in Italy's GDP.
The new pilot project involves the relocation of 100 Kyrgyz citizens aged 18 to 45 years to the areas of Sassari, Barbagy and Sarrabus. Their visas will initially be temporary but will become permanent once they complete their training and internship programs. In the long term, thousands of foreigners could move to these areas.
“The project aims to combat rural abandonment, which is also affected by the aging population and falling birth rates,” Coldiretti said.
Italy issues relatively few work visas compared to other European countries, but experts and politicians say the country needs migrant workers to support its agricultural sector. According to statistics, in Kyrgyzstan, about 40% of the workforce is employed in agriculture, and the sector accounts for a fifth of GDP.
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