ASTANA (Interfax-Kazakhstan) – As of September 24, Kazakhstan’s farmers reaped 13.950 mln tonnes of grain, 38.7% down from last year, the Ministry of Agriculture said. In early August 2018 the Ministry had estimated the general grain harvest in 2018 in Kazakhstan at 21-22 mln tonnes.

In 2018, Kazakhstan will harvest nearly 20 mln tonnes of grains, declared the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Umirzak Shukeyev on September 18. According to the announcement, as of the reporting date agrarians already harvested 11.2 mln tonnes of grains throughout the areas of over 8.9 mln ha (59%). The average yield totalled 1.25 t/ha. At the same time, southern oblasts already harvested grains throughout 86% of the planned areas, western oblasts — 89%, northern, central and eastern — 56% each.

U.Shukeyev explained that in terms of the current daily capacities of combine harvesters and favourable weather conditions, agrarians would manage to complete the harvesting campaign in the first ten-day period of October 2018.

In addition, the forecast of oilseeds production totals 2.3 mln tonnes, which allowed increasing the export potential to 1 mln tonnes of oilseeds.