14.01.2026, 20:05
Water shortage is changing the agricultural map of the south: Kazakhstan will reduce rice crops and modernize cotton-growing.
The southern regions are adapting the sowing structure to water scarcity and new climatic conditions.
📖 Reading time: 1 min
On the eve of the 2026 agricultural season, the southern regions of Kazakhstan are forced to revise the structure of sown areas. Due to climate change and the load on the Syr Darya and Amu Darya basins, the government, together with farmers from Kyzylorda, Turkestan and Zhambyl regions, has approved a course for water conservation.
The key solution is to reduce the area under moisture-intensive crops. In total, the regions will reduce rice crops by almost 16 thousand hectares:
-
Kyzylorda region — by 8.5 thousand hectares;
-
Turkestan region — by 7.4 thousand hectares.
The released land is planned to be given to less water-demanding, but economically profitable crops that are in demand in the field of deep processing.
Cotton crops (forecast - 148.5 thousand hectares) are waiting for a large-scale modernization. The emphasis is shifting from traditional irrigation to modern technologies:
-
The area under drip irrigation will increase by 15 thousand hectares.
-
Fields with traditional furrow irrigation will decrease by 11 thousand hectares.
The introduction of a drip system will save up to 50% of water, while increasing yields and reducing soil salinization.
A special working group has been created to coordinate the transition. Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin instructed the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources to develop a detailed land use plan.
Stay up to date with agricultural news by following us on Telegram, Instagram and Facebook
