Over 50% of grain crops in Kazakhstan in satisfactory and poor condition

ASTANA. KAZINFORM This year, the agricultural producers of Kazakhstan have faced the problems caused by drought and lack of irrigation water, which, in turn, impacted the volume and quality of grain crops, Kazinform reports.

Taking the floor at the Government’s weekly meeting, Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Karashukeyev announced operational data provided by the local akimats. Thus, 45.1% of grain crops or 7.8 million hectares are in a good condition. 46% or 8 million hectares are in a satisfactory condition and 7.5% or 1.3 million hectares are in a poor condition. Meanwhile, 181 thousand hectares or less than 1% of crops were lost, primarily in Pavlodar region.

«For comparison, in 2021, which was a dry year too, 3.8% of crops were damaged,» the Minister adds.

Approximately 7.8 thousand hectares of croplands, including 1.2 thousand hectares of sugar beet, were damaged by drought in Zhambyl region caused by insufficient water discharge from Kyrgyzstan.

The Minister prepares to announce state of emergency at a regional level and cover the farmers’ losses as well as to issue subsidies from the national budget and extend the loans.

Zhambyl region receives up to 80% of water from Talas and Shu trans-border rivers of Kyrgyzstan. This year, the neighbor country experiences water shortage too.