Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture has unveiled plans to implement water-saving technologies on 20,000 hectares of irrigated land by the end of 2023, media reports.
Currently, only 18% of agricultural land in Kazakhstan has been updated with these technologies, which covers 280 hectares.
The Ministry aims to increase this percentage by subsidizing farmers using modern water-saving technologies. Last year, Kazakh farmers received subsidies worth KZT 18bn (nearly $40.5mn).
Kazakhstan's government has also recognized the need to reduce the area of water-intensive crops. Rice, which is the most water-consuming crop, is mainly grown in the Kyzylorda region, with a norm of water consumption ranging from 23,000-24,000 cubic meters per 1 hectare.
The Ministry aims to reduce the rice crop by almost 25,000 hectares.
According to the Head of the Agromelioration Department of the Agriculture Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Medet Zhadigeruly, it may not be possible to reduce the rice area so much all at once. Still, it can be done gradually based on recommendations.
Earlier, Daryo reported that Kazakhstan's farmers exported 32,680 tons of rice from January to April, with 99% of exports going to CIS countries. Uzbekistan was the largest buyer, importing 14,320 tons, resulting in a revenue increase of over fourteen times. Russia's imports decreased by 38%, while Tajikistan's increased by a third. Rice exports to the United States increased by 4.5 times.
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