BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 10. Kazakhstan government estimates that the overall sown areas in the current year will be identical to last year's figures around 23 million hectares, Trend reports, citing the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan.
It is planned to increase the sown areas of grain fodder and fodder crops. According to initial projections, at least 18,000 hectares will be sown with sugar beets. Rice-sown areas will also increase by 9.9 thousand hectares.
The government allocated 31.3 billion Kazakh tenge ($67.9 million) are provided for the fertilizer subsidy program in local budgets. However, the sum allotted is considered to be inadequate to completely cover the needs of the agriculture sector.
Overall, the need for mineral fertilizers in 2023 is 703,000 tons.
The statement says that the Ministry of Agriculture recommended municipal bodies increase the volume of funds directed to the subsidy program to cover the demand.