BAKU, Azerbaijan, Mar. 30
By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:
Preparations for spring field work have entered an active phase, and the spring sowing has already been launched in Almaty, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda and Turkestan regions of Kazakhstan, the country's Minister of Agriculture Saparkhan Omarov said, Trend reports citing the ministry.
He noted that some 68,000 hectares of spring crops, 6,500 hectares of potatoes, more than 10,000 hectares of vegetables and about 19,000 hectares of perennial grasses were sown in these regions already.
Omarov also added that the ministry continues working to diversify sowing with an emphasis on increasing areas for highly profitable and socially significant crops.
In general, 22.8 million hectares of land are to be sown in 2021, which is 186,600 hectares more than in 2020. The area for sowing cereals and legumes has been reduced by 75,200 hectares to 15.8 million.
At the same time, the area for sowing oilseeds will be increased by 63,000 hectares to 3 million, fodder crops - by 114,500 to 3.4 million, vegetable and melon crops by 16,000 to 280,000 hectares.
He noted that regional akimats (administrative centers) pay little attention to increasing areas for socially significant crops.
“Following the meeting on preparation for spring field work, letters were sent to the regions on the need to increase the areas for sowing buckwheat and potatoes. In particular, local executive bodies were recommended to expand the area of buckwheat to 103,000 hectares instead of 89,000 previously planned, and potatoes - to 209,000 hectares instead of 197,000,” he said.
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