Farmers in the Sayram District of the Turkistan Region have reported a shortage of irrigation water for planting work. According to them, this could lead to crop loss. Water from the Aksu River does not reach the nearest fields, while supply continues to other, more remote areas.
According to Informburo.kz, residents of ten villages, whose farms specialise in growing potatoes, onions, apples and alfalfa, said that planting was under threat due to a lack of rain and regular irrigation.
The farmers claim they have invested large sums in seeds, field cultivation, and labour costs, but now cannot provide even the minimum conditions for crop growth.
"We bought seeds for 400 tenge. If you count it, we spent around 1.5 million tenge on them alone. And then there's the sowing, the insecticides, the tractor, and, for example, the workers' wages," complained one of the farmers, Tahirzhan Nartaev.
It is reported that local residents accuse those responsible for water resource distribution of inefficiency and of prioritising water supply to other regions at the expense of nearby farms.
In response, the akimat of the Sayram District confirmed the water shortage but assured that the situation is under control. It was noted that irrigation water reaches the district every four days, but this is insufficient in drought conditions.
"This year, the shortage of irrigation water is strongly felt. The volume of mountain water has decreased by two and a half times over the year. We are directing water to the Arys River until 1 July. We explain to farmers in the Otyrar and Ordabasy districts that due to the water shortage, it is being supplied to Arys," said the deputy akim of the district, Shukhratilla Ubaydullaev.
Notably, in his comment, the official spoke about problems in other districts, without specifically explaining the water supply situation in the Sayram District, where the described issues are occurring.
The damage that farmers could suffer is estimated in the millions of tenge. People fear a total loss of crops and demand urgent intervention from the akim of the Turkistan Region.
For context, it was previously reported that in the Turkistan Region, farmers are losing dozens of livestock due to drought and locust infestations. In turn, regional authorities deny the scale of the problem and refuse compensation.