Grain harvest is currently well underway on 158,000 hectares of land sown with wheat in southern Kazakhstan. Arid climate requires skillful farmers. Therefore, the lion’s share of the crop is winter wheat providing good nutrition through winter moisture.
Agriculturist Sultangali Shambulov said: «The main requirement that we set for wheat classes is that they could survive in our extremely dry conditions. Now, we are expanding the sown area of new kinds of wheat, which provide good results on non-irrigated lands.»
Another important condition for a good crop is in crop rotation and the timely application of fertilisers. Farmers point out that this year’s preferential fuel and fertiliser supply arrived in the region on time. However, it is still troublesome for small farms processing over 10 acres to get them. Therefore, farmers tend to unite their land sites. One of the region’s largest farms named Amangeldy has already brought about 300 small farmers together.
Head of South Kazakhstan Regional Department of Agriculture Kanatbek Ospanbekov: «We are completing harvest in the Saryagash district now. Then, we are moving to Kazygurt and the mountainous area. We normally finish the harvest campaign in the Tolebi and Tyulkubas districts by August 20.»
This year, the south of the country has been using a new technology of minimal tillage in order to maintain soil fertility and increase crop yields on thousands of hectares. The average grain yield is expected to be about 11 tonnes per hectare.
