Sunflower seed crop in Kazakhstan under threat due to drought

Drought reduces sunflower crop potential in Kazakhstan. This problem was voiced at the Field Day in the Glubokovsky district of the East Kazakhstan region, during a meeting of representatives of the National Association of Oilseed Processors with agricultural producers.

East Kazakhstan region is the leader in sunflower production in Kazakhstan. Farmers noted that there was no precipitation in the region for one and a half to two months.

According to Farid Abitaev, Director General of Experimental Farming of Oilseeds LLP, the drought observed this year is one of the most extreme in the past few years.

     “In the current season, weather conditions threaten the yield of many crops, including sunflower seeds, the lack of moisture in the soil has a negative impact on the condition of crops. Over the past two months, there has been practically no precipitation, since the beginning of the growing season in the Glubokovsky district (since May 15) there has not been a single rain. The average monthly rainfall in eastern Kazakhstan is at the level of 40 mm, while instead of the expected 80 mm, we have only 27 mm in two months, which is 3 times lower than the norm. The lack of moisture in the soil is visible even to the naked eye,” the agricultural producer emphasized.

He noted that, according to preliminary estimates, sunflower yields will decrease by one and a half times in the eastern part of Kazakhstan and even more in the southern regions. In other regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the situation will be even worse, F.Abitaev believes.

     “In Semey, the actual rainfall for the growing season was 7 millimeters. For example, in Pavlodar, Akmola, Aktobe regions, even seedlings of some farms burned down. In general, the current situation can be called critical,” the expert emphasized.

Representatives of the National Association of Oilseed Processors (NAPMC) consider the current situation with a lack of moisture to be extremely alarming.

It is likely that in the new season, processors will have to work in conditions of a shortage of sunflower seeds, given the threat of lower yields and the small current balances of oilseeds. According to NAPMK, in the second decade of July, the stocks of sunflower seeds in Kazakhstan were at the level of 260 thousand tons, taking into account the residues at the oil refineries, which is not enough until the new harvest.

At the same time, NAPMK noted that the relevant ministries now need to develop the right strategy, aimed primarily at ensuring domestic food security and supporting agricultural producers, given the fact that extreme drought is observed not only in Kazakhstan, but also in many other parts of the world.

As APK-Inform previously reported, in the Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan, crops are dying due to drought, and farmers are asking to declare a state of emergency.