Spring field work

In Kazakhstan, the course of preparation for spring field work was reviewed.

This year, it is planned to sow 22.8 mln hectares of land, which is 186.6 thous. hectares more than in 2020.
 
According to the director of the Department of production and Processing of crop products of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Azat Sultanov, the areas of highly profitable crops are currently expanding. "Including cereals and legumes, we expect to place them on an area of 15.8 mln hectares. The projected area of oilseeds will be 3 mln hectares, which is also higher than last year – by 63 thousand hectares, forage - 3.4 mln hectares. The area of vegetable and melon crops will be 16 thousand hectares more than last year, and will amount to 280 thousand hectares," Sultanov said at a briefing of the Central Communications Service on March 30
.
According to him, local executive bodies are recommended to increase the area of buckwheat to 103 thous. hectares instead of the previously planned 89 thous. hectares, potatoes to 209 thous. hectares. This will allow us to provide the country with the most popular products.

As Sultanov noted, the sowing campaign has already begun in the southern regions, 103.4 thousand hectares have been sown. These are cereals, potatoes, vegetables and perennial herbs.

For the spring field work, the required amount of diesel fuel is determined – 380 thous.tons. The average price for agricultural producers will be about 165 tenge / liter.

In the republic there are 141.7 thousand tractors, 73.2 thousand seeders, 221.2 thousand tillage tools, 4.3 thousand sowing complexes. As of March 29, 2021, the readiness of agricultural machinery for spring field work is 97%, the press service of the Prime Minister reports.

"High-quality and timely implementation of spring field work is one of the important components of ensuring the country's food security. Last year, despite the pandemic, the sowing campaign was carried out at a very high level. Agricultural technologies were clearly observed, fertilizers and plant protection products were introduced in a timely manner. This allowed us to get a good harvest. This year, the Government has also made all the necessary decisions on the financial and logistical support for spring sowing," the head of government said at a conference call on Tuesday .

The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Ecology, together with the Ministry of Agriculture and akimats, to take measures to ensure stable supply of irrigation water to agricultural producers in the southern regions of the republic, including in the long term; the Ministry of Energy – to ensure the supply of the necessary amount of diesel fuel for sowing according to the approved schedule and prices.
 
The regional akims were instructed to complete the work on approving the lists and norms of subsidies for agricultural producers within a week.

It should be noted that to support the subjects of the agro-industrial complex, Agrarian Credit Corporation JSC allocated a budget loan from the republican budget in the amount of KZT 70 bln. The interest rate for final borrowers will not exceed 5% per annum. The allocated funds will allow to finance 2,400 agribusiness entities covering three mln hectares of acreage.

Along with budget lending, this year the amount of allocated funds has been increased from KZT 24.5 bln to KZT 45.3 bln for the implementation of forward purchase of agricultural products.