Experimental farm built at Semipalatinsk nuclear test site

Personnel of Kazakhstan’s National Nuclear Center built an experimental farm at the territory of Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, Tengrinews.kz reports citing deputy Director General of the National Nuclear Center Sergey Lukashenko. The 5th International Academic and Research Conference called Semipalatinsk Nuclear test Site: Radiation Heritage and Development Prospects was held in Kurchatov on September 12-14. During the meeting Lukashenko told that the experimental farm was built to find out the level of radionuclides pollution of animal products. “Our task is to set a full cycle and gather information on radionuclides in all our traditional food. Of course we are focusing on those animals and products that have not yet been described in the world’s other researches. For example, kumys (mare’s milk). This is our favorite drink. It is not popular in the world, that’s why there is no information on it. Right now we are thinking of getting a camel. Right now our farm has traditional animals like sheep, cows, horses and poultry,” deputy Director General said. Lukashenko noted that Japanese experts are interested in Kazakhstan National Nuclear Center’s experiments. Currently they collect results of all scientific projects that could help them overcome the consequences of Fukuishima-1 accident. “We have prepared 5 projects and one of them is in agriculture,” he stressed and reminded that the Center earlier made an experiment of growing vegetables at the territory of the nuclear test site.