Spring sowing area in 2019 amounted to 19 million hectares

Politics • 07 June, 2019

Spring sowing area in 2019 amounted to 19 million hectares — Ministry of Agriculture

To date, all regions have completed the spring sowing. During the sowing period, there were no problems with the provision of fuel and lubricants, seeds and fertilizers. This was announced today at a briefing in the Government by the First Vice Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov, wrote primeminister.kz.

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In general, the area of spring sowing this year amounted to 19 million hectares, of which cereals occupied 14.5 million hectares, oilseeds — 2.7 million hectares, vegetables, melons and potatoes — 458.3 thousand hectares, fodder crops — 1, 2 million hectares, industrial crops (sugar beet, cotton, tobacco) — 144 thousand hectares.

For the harvest in 2019, about 2.5 million tons of seeds were sowed, 471.4 thousand tons of fertilizers are planned. As part of diversification, areas under grain fodder (barley, oats, corn for grain, peas and chickpeas), vegetables and melons, forage crops and potatoes have been expanded.

The vice minister noted that in order to diversify production, the Ministry of Agriculture together with the Akimat of North Kazakhstan region developed a program called “Northern Soya.” The program is aimed at assisting agricultural producers in the production of soybeans in the northern regions. As part of the current sowing, 14 thousand hectares have already been sown in the region. In general, the implementation of the program will make it possible to increase the area of soybean crops to 1.5 million hectares in 5 years, increase crop yields to 30 centners per hectare, increase the gross yield to 3.2 million tons, load processing capacities, which, in turn, will increase exports, create new jobs and enhance productivity.

“I would like to particularly note the results of spring field work in problem agricultural holdings. The relevant work has been done, all planned measures for sowing the area of 1.6 million hectares have been fulfilled, the existing issues on wages and taxes have been removed. In the fall 2019, all shareholders will receive their dividends,” said the first vice minister.

It should be noted that 147 thousand tractors, 4 thousand high-efficiency sowing complexes, 79.5 thousand grain seeders, 249 thousand tillage tools were used in the sowing in 2019, which is 4 thousand more tractors and 300 more sowing complexes. A significant role in increasing the fleet of vehicles was played by government support measures in the form of investment subsidies and subsidies for interest rates on equipment leasing.

In addition, 380 thousand tons of diesel fuel was allocated for sowing for the period March-June (375 thousand tons in 2018). To date, 334.5 thousand tons (88%) have been shipped to the regions.

This year's sowing campaign, as Saparov stressed, was exactly at the optimum time for it, which is a guarantee for obtaining a good harvest. Weather conditions were favorable, there was no precipitation, there was no restraining sowing.

Saparov also noted positive prerequisites for the volume of the future harvest.

“We carried out a sowing campaign with quality seeds at the optimal time. Mineral fertilizers were introduced in time, precipitation was about normal and above normal in some regions. Therefore, we expect the harvest to be not lower than last year,” said the first vice minister of agriculture.

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