Agriculture plays an important role in social stability of the Kyrgyz Republic. More than a half of the population lives in rural area and their income is strongly linked to agricultural activities. The level of poverty among the rural population (41.4 percent) is much higher than urban areas (28. 5 percent). Throughout the country, 2.14 million people are living below the poverty line, while 2.8 percent of the population, (159 000 people) live in extreme poverty and cannot afford the minimum food basket.