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Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture is forecasting a record-breaking oilseed harvest of more than 5 million tons for the current season, Vice Minister Azat Sultanov announced during a government meeting.
The countrywide harvesting campaign is well underway, with farmers having already brought in 13.5 million hectares of grain crops, equivalent to 83 percent of the total planted area. Kazakhstan's total harvesting area this year covers 24.2 million hectares, including more than 15.6 million hectares of grain and leguminous crops.
Speaking at the meeting, Sultanov acknowledged that the growing season presented mixed weather conditions. Parts of northern and central Kazakhstan received insufficient rainfall, raising concerns for grain production. 'Under similar weather conditions in previous years, yields often stood at around 8-9 centners per hectare,' the Vice Minister noted.
Despite these challenges, government-backed concessional financing programs helped ensure that essential fieldwork was completed on schedule. The current average yield stands at 14.7 centners per hectare, with farmers having collected 19.9 million tons of grain. Overall grain output is projected to exceed the long-term average, securing sufficient volumes for domestic food, feed, and seed needs while preserving export capacity.
Oilseed harvesting is also gaining momentum, with 2.4 million hectares already brought in and 2.4 million tons collected. 'By the end of the harvest, we expect a record oilseed crop of more than 5 million tons,' Sultanov said.
The vegetable, melon, and potato sectors are posting strong results as well: farmers have gathered 2.9 million tons of vegetables, 2.3 million tons of melons and gourds, and 2.5 million tons of potatoes.
Cotton harvesting is similarly progressing. The crop was planted across 173,600 hectares, with 70,500 tons of raw cotton already harvested at an average yield of 32 centners per hectare. Sultanov highlighted the rapid expansion of water-saving technologies in cotton production, noting that the area under drip irrigation has grown from 3,000 hectares to 80,000 hectares over the past two years, supporting more efficient water use and higher yields.
Grain harvesting is approaching completion in several regions. West Kazakhstan has finished its campaign, while East Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, Zhambyl, and Karaganda regions have each harvested more than 95 percent of their grain area. Most of the remaining work is concentrated in Kazakhstan's key grain-producing regions.
Earlier, the Vice Minister noted that the government is providing 665 billion tenge in concessional financing to support farmers across the country.
Source: Qazinform News Agency