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Tengrinews.kz – Farmers in Turkestan fear losing their livestock due to a drought in the Sozak district — the worst in the past 35 years, according to KTK.
As reported in the broadcast, there is no grass left on the pastures, while the prices for feed are rising. Farms are already calculating losses and worry that things will get even worse in the winter.
“Many animals are emaciated, and sooner or later they’ll start dying. Some are already dying of hunger. This year is very hard for us: the drought ruined everything, nothing grows. We’re afraid we’ll lose everything,” said a resident of Sozak district.
To try and save their livestock, villagers are buying feed. But they say the cost has skyrocketed compared to last year. For example, a single bale of hay now reaches 1,500 tenge.
“Before, a bale cost just over 350 tenge — now it’s a thousand, plus delivery fees. We had to feed the cows all summer. They’re still thin. We've already lost 5–6 cows, a dozen sheep, and soon we’ll lose a horse too,” another villager added.
Locals recall the last time such a drought occurred — 35 years ago — when around a thousand animals were lost.
“One animal eats 5,000 tenge worth of feed per day. I don’t even eat that much myself. So many people are suffering right now: our livelihoods depend on livestock. And now it’s the opposite,” said another livestock owner.
Officials are urging residents not to panic. They promise to deliver more affordable feed from northern regions of the country.
“In Sozak district we do have grass, wheat, and bran for sale. Yes, it's expensive per head, but it’ll be cheaper if brought from North Kazakhstan and Kostanay regions. The price will be lower than ours,” assured Sozak district deputy akim Serik Mamanov.
He promised that within a couple of weeks, the situation with feed prices in the district would stabilize.
