Kazakhstan's farmers turn to irrigation to boost harvests amid water scarcity

Farmers in Eastern Kazakhstan are increasingly adopting irrigated farming to improve crop yields. The shift has led to the expansion of irrigation systems and water-saving technologies across the region. In Zaisan District, only 3,000 of the 12,000 hectares of arable land currently have irrigation systems. Talgat Barkhanov’s family farm has taken the lead by implementing water-saving methods on 300 hectares. Their drip irrigation system uses just 70–80 litres of water per 500 hectares.

This year, the Kyzylbulak agricultural cooperative in Tarbagatai District allocated 260 hectares for growing vegetables and melons. Farmers also drilled a well and built a 60-cubic-metre reservoir using their own funds to store water. Under the Aul Amanaty programme, they purchased modern sprinkler systems and installed drip irrigation infrastructure. Water-saving technologies were also introduced on 150 hectares of the cooperative’s land. The adoption of irrigation and water-saving methods is expanding in Eastern Kazakhstan. These measures aim to increase agricultural productivity by making better use of available water resources. More farms are expected to follow the example set by early adopters.