Government reports harvest progress

The Kazakh Government Information Directorate told the Russian news agency Intermix on Thursday that Kazakhstan had up to 11 October harvested 12.8 mt of grain from 99 percent of the total sown area. Some 12.3 million hectares were sown with grain crops this year, compared with 11.3 million hectares in 1999. This year’s average yield is 1.05 mt per hectare, the report said. It added: “The main grain growing regions in north Kazakhstan have harvested 9.3 mt of grain, including 3.3 mt in Kustanay region and 3 mt in both North Kazakhstan and Aqmola regions.” The Government Information Directorate said until 11 October, 160,000 mt of rice, 100,000 mt of grain maize, 50,000 mt of sunflower seeds, 156,000 mt of raw cotton, 1.1 mt of potatoes and 700,000 mt of vegetables had been gathered, the Intermix report said.