How January weather affected the condition of winter crops in Kazakhstan

According to the latest monitoring data from Kazhydromet for the third ten-day period of January, Kazakhstan’s farmers have received the first assessments this year of the condition of winter wheat following the winter cold spells. An expert analysis of plant viability revealed an uneven situation across regions, identifying localized areas of winter crop losses due to freezing.

The most significant losses were recorded in the Zhambyl Region. In the vicinity of the Merke, Nurly kent, and Sarykemer stations, winter crop mortality averaged between 2% and 5%. A more difficult situation developed in the Shu and Korday districts, where crop damage reached 7–9%. Specialists note that at the time of inspection, plants were at different stages of vegetation, ranging from the grain germination phase to the emergence of the third leaf.

Negative dynamics were also observed in the western part of the country. In the Baiterek District of the West Kazakhstan Region, despite a snow cover of 21 centimeters, approximately 8% of crops were lost due to freezing. Control sampling showed that the critical factor in this case was the freezing of the upper soil layer.

At the same time, southern regions are demonstrating more stable indicators. In the Turkistan Region and the Zhetysu Region, the condition of overwintering crops is assessed as good, and no cases of crop damage have been recorded so far. Specialists are currently continuing laboratory studies in the Almaty Region and the Zhetysu Region, where samples are being regrown to obtain final forecasts on crop preservation and yield potential.