Drought killed the wheat harvest at 7 thousand hectares in South-Kazakhstan oblast

Drought has killed the wheat harvest at 7 thousand hectares in South-Kazakhstan oblast, Otyrar TV-channel reports citing the oblast's agriculture department. According to the authority, over 3 thousand hectares of wheat has been destroyed by the drought in Saryagash region and around 2 thousand hectares died in Baidibek region. Several hundred of hectares were damaged by drought in Tyulkubas, Turkestan and Maktaaral areas. However, the damage will not have any effect on the food security of the oblast, the department promises. According to the department’s experts, baking of bread requires hard northern types of wheat with higher content of fibrin. “Despite of the bad weather conditions this year, the oblast has already stocked up 1.9 million tons of rough feed, which is 69 percent of the target amount. Right now the works are held to increase the volumes. We plan to get at least 4-5 mowings of medic. Seed corn was sowed at 24 thousand hectares and silage corn will be harvested from 7 thousand hectares. Wherever possible, the farmers stock bulrush, camelthorn and other herbs. The plan is to prepare 2.3 million tons of rough feed for winter. Going back to grains, I can say that over 82 thousand tons of grain has been harvested from 158 thousand hectares,” senior expert of crop science department Amantai Atenov said. According to the experts, the harvest campaign will be completed by the end of July in the oblast. The yield capacity should make 9.4 percent per hectare.