PM urges Kazakh farmers to reap harvest in time
Premier Sagintayev admitted that occasional rains and precipitation had been the main reason the agrarians were lagging behind the schedule of harvesting this year. "However, it is high time to take advantage of the nice weather that has settled in and reap the harvest in time," he said at the session of the Government on Tuesday.
According to Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture Umirzak Shukeyev, this year the crops will be harvested from the total area of 15 million ha, including wheat from 11.1 million ha. That is 0.3 million ha and 0.8 million ha less than in 2017. The harvesting area of oil-bearing crops totals 2.8 million ha, exceeding the last year's figure for 0.4 million ha.
It was noted that the total harvest this year will make some 20 million tons. Of 20, 9 million tons may be exported.
Kazakhstani farmers, Shukeyev stressed, have already harvested 8.9 hectares which constitutes 59% of the areas planted to grain crops.
Southern regions of the country (Almaty, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, and Turkestan regions) have harvested 86% of crops, western regions (Aktobe and West Kazakhstan regions) - 89% of crops, northern, central and eastern regions (Akmola, East Kazakhstan, Karaganda, Kostanay, Pavlodar, and North Kazakhstan regions) - 56% of crops.