Kazakhstan: drought to meddle in the diversification plans

Source

APK-Inform

4018

In Ukraine, while many areas are drowned by rains, most of Kazakhstan regions are under the influence of droughts. Though in June the precipitations were in the North regions of the Republic, they did not take especial effect, due to their inefficiency. Taking into account that productive moisture holdings were less compared to the last year level, it is possible to understand what conditions have the sowings to date, and how important July precipitations will be.

On the other hand, hot June advanced passing of the phases in grains development. Besides, many regions sowed them by 4-5 earlier of the optimal terms, due to sharp desiccation in the top-soil in the conditions of droughts spring. The farmers should choose - to saw into the wet soil, or to sow within the optimal terms, but into the tight soil, and as a rule for big deepness. In brief, everyone did as they thought fit, taking into account the certain situation on own fields.

To date a lot of sowings in the North regions of the Republic are on the booting stage, and somewhere passed to the heading stage. Absence of precipitations may essentially decrease the future crop.

This year in the Republic sowing areas structure was changed. According to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic, wheat sowing areas totaled 14.2 mln ha from general 16.3 mln ha of grains. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, this level much decreased compared to the last year level. Oilseeds were sowed throughout 1720 thsd ha, up almost 700 thsd ha compared to the last year level. Rapeseed sowing areas increased almost by 2 times, sunseed sowing areas increased by over 200 thsd ha, safflower sowing areas increased by 50 thsd ha. Perennial grasses sowing areas also increased.

It is decisive that agrarians provided such feedback due to the last year situation, when they had grain oversupply on the domestic market, which caused prices decrease for wheat to critically low value and totaled 100 USD/t and lower. As a result, the profitability of traditionally efficient plant production decreased to zero for many farming enterprises. As opposed to this situation, prices for sunseed, rapeseed, buckwheat reached rather high level in autumn 2009. Thus, sunseed cost totaled 200 USD/t, buckwheat - 220-250 USD/t. This factor essentially helped the grain farming enterprises, growing these crops, to overcome the deadlock, where all the grain market was. Or, at least, finish this year without loss. Finally this spring the oilseeds demand was high more than ever, and it was difficult to purchase them not only on the domestic market, but also in other Russian oblasts.

Nevertheless, by increasing areas for oilseeds, the agrarians expected to get the profit, but many of them faced the difficult and strange situation - droughts may essentially decrease the oilseeds yield. On the other hand, droughts will cause the growth of wheat prices on the domestic market, as well as on the foreign market. To date the certain determination becomes apparent.

It is evident that in this year harvest volume will be lower of the last year record rate. Nevertheless the agrarians still hope to get the average yield in the range of 9-11 c/ha for grains sowing oblasts of the Republic. July is not finished yet, and enough depth of the precipitations may change the situation. The Vice-Minster of Agriculture, Arman Evniev, announced on the press-conference that the Republic plans to harvest 14-15.5 mln tonnes.

Though this summer will be hot for Kazakhstan railway employees also. As of the beginning if June, stocks of grain totaled 5 mln tonnes, which the country should export, and which is on the elevators or in the storage of agricultural force. It is evident that the active grain export is able to solve this problem. According to A.Evniev, they plan the spillover of grain from fulfilled elevators to other less fulfilled elevators. It is necessary to do it in 2-3 coming months. But will this process be going, no one says. Lot will depend on the amount of funds, which the government will appropriate for these objectives, because the lion's share of stored grain is grain of the government resources.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Agriculture makes arrangements by preparation the grain reception centers. The Ministry recommended to the Heads of the elevators to export grain concurrently with preparation of the elevator farming enterprises for new crop reception. There is another one important question - the modernization of the whole elevator farming enterprise. Especially taking into account the last determination of plant growing diversification, which may cause the liability of building the single capacities as well as the elevators also for oilseeds reception, treatment and storage.

Nikolai Latyshev

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