BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 26. The primary reason for the yield decrease in sugar beet is the reduction in net sown areas, Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerbol Karashukeev said at a Central Communications Service (CCS) briefing on July 26, Trend reports via the Kazakh media.
“If the sugar beet area in Kazakhstan made up 85,000 hectares in the post-Soviet era, it has sharply decreased to 1,200 hectares by 2014 due to the low marketability of sugar beet farms, high cost of cultivation, water scarcity, irrigation system deterioration, and other factors,” Karashukeev stated.
According to the minister, the low profitability of sugar beet cultivation compared to other crops makes it less attractive for agricultural producers.
“The cost analysis has shown the profitability of sugar beet farming is ensured only through existing subsidies,” Karashukeev added.