April 20, 2007

Kazakhstan reduces area planted with spring grains

The total area planted with spring grains this year in Kazakhstan will be 13.9 million hectares, compared with 14.5 million ha in 2006, the agriculture ministry announced Thursday (Apr 19).

Spring wheat will be planted on 11.5 million hectares.

Despite the reduction in area planted, the ministry said output is not expected to fall much below last year as moisture content in the soil was much higher this year, the quality of seeds was much better and farmers had stocked more fuel.

Kazakhstan harvested 18.5 million tonnes of grain in 2006, and its export potential in the 2006/07 marketing year is seen by the agriculture ministry at 7 million tonnes.