Kyrgyzstan: to increase grain harvest by 30 percent

Bishkek / KG. (ami) In 2009, Kyrgyzstan increased wheat sowings by nearly 43 thousand hectares compared to 2007, when the market faced the sudden growth of prices for milling wheat caused by the crisis on the world market. During recent two years, agrarians increased usage of mineral fertilizers at wheat sowings and lead the level to 75 percent from the general winter sowings, which influenced wheat yield and baking quality.

According to data from oblasts, the average grain yield totals 29,6 centners per hectare; up 7,6 centners per hectare compared to the previous year level, including wheat yield – 30,2 centners per hectare, up seven centners per hectare, barley – 27,8 centners per hectare, up 9,1 centners per hectare. According to Iskenderbek Aydaraliev, the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Processing Industries, the country expects to harvest nearly 1,2 million tonnes of grains in the current year, including 925 thousand tonnes of wheat and over 250 thousand tonnes of barley. The current harvest is supposed to increase the indices of 2008 by 30 percent.

Due to the growth of grain sowing areas and yield indices, the country faces the rise of wheat production volumes, which can cause the further decrease of market prices for milling wheat and affect the economic results of agricultural commodity producers, and lower grain sowing areas. According to Omyrbek Babanov, the First Vice-Premier-Minister of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the country will provide intervention purchases of milling wheat from agricultural commodity producers (source: agrimarket.info).