My name is Shakir Ilkhambayevich Mirzoev and I am from Bostandyk, Kazakhstan. Agriculture is my family business and I have been working in this field for several years. When I got married and moved out of my parent’s house, I wanted to start my own business. I decided to follow my father’s footsteps by starting my own agricultural business. When I started working on my own, I realized that I needed more resources to improve my harvest. It was also necessary to increase the territory of my greenhouses to increase my production.

In 2010, I reached out to the microfinance institution Arnur Credit with a request for a loan to increase my production volume of vegetables. Thanks to the loan I received from Arnur Credit, I improved my business. Since my first experience with Arnur Credit was successful, I decided to apply for a second loan. These loans allowed me to improve my farming business and the economic situation of my family.

During this time, I also met other local farmers with whom I exchanged experiences and ideas. From them, I have learned about the drip irrigation method for hothouses, and also about other types of vegetables and crops I could grow.