Agricultural Development Indicators of the Turkistan Region

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS OF THE TURKISTAN REGION Various agricultural areas have been developed depending on the natural and climatic conditions of Kazakhstan. Animal husbandry, horticulture, agriculture and fishing are among them. About 80% of Kazakhstan’s total land area is suitable for agriculture, about 11% of this is the land reserved for cultivation. In general, there are 22.582.3 hectares of arable land in Kazakhstan. Especially in the Turkistan region, 847.9 thousand hectares of land are used for agriculture. This shows that since the Turkistan region is located in the southern part of the country, it is suitable for agriculture in terms of natural climate and soil fertility. This is because the types of agriculture in the region have developed since ancient times and traditional forms of animal husbandry, agriculture and horticulture have been preserved. Currently, the agricultural performance of the Turkistan region achieves the best results in the country. For instance, in 2018, the Turkistan region took the first place in the meat processing sector in Kazakhstan. The meat production volume in the region has reached 154.7 thousand tons. 9.6 thousand tons of this was exported to Uzbekistan, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. This accounts for 54% of the total meat exports in the country. This can be explained by the growth of livestock in the region and the well-developed feed industry. When we compare this number with the 2020 data, the region exported 4.2 thousand tons of meat products. The demand for cattle, ovine and poultry is high. In the future, 21.000 cattle feed complex is planned to be built in Sayram district of Turkistan region.

In general, livestock products produced in the Turkistan region include meat, dairy products and eggs. This is carried out within the framework of the “Development of the agro-industrial complex 2018-2021” program. In addition, “20182027 cattle fattening program” is among the important initiatives in this field. Within the framework of the program, it is foreseen that the number of family farms in the country will be increased from 20 thousand to 100 thousand, the workforce from 100 thousand to 600 thousand, meat exports from 30 million dollars to 2.4 billion dollars, and the number of meat processing facilities from 14 to 21 until 2027.

The Turkistan region comes to the fore with the development of agriculture. Crop production volume in January-July 2021 was 37.8 billion tenge (89 million dollars). Vegetable crops increased by 8.1 thousand hectares, oil seeds increased by 1.9 thousand hectares, while cotton planted area decreased by 16.3 thousand hectares in the region. The area of greenhouses in the region has also increased by 73 hectares, reaching a total of 1,320 hectares, which covers 71% of the greenhouses in the country. Moreover, drip irrigation technology has started to be used in greenhouses in the Turkistan region. In addition, due to the favorable natural climatic conditions of the region, production technology is applied in greenhouses throughout the year. Today, greenhouses in Sayram and Saryagash districts contribute to the sustainable development and high performance of the regional economy. By comparison, the agricultural production of the Turkistan region constitutes 14% of the country’s total. One of the important conditions for the growth of the agricultural sector in the Turkistan region is the development of transportation and logistics. In this context, the Western Europe - Western China highway passing through the region allows the transportation of agricultural products throughout the country without any problems. Moreover, the region facilitates the transportation of agricultural products to other countries.

However, human-induced, natural and pandemic conditions in the country in recent years have significantly affected the agricultural sector of the region. Firstly, on May 1st 2020, the explosion of the Sardoba Dam in Uzbekistan flooded the fields in the Maktaaral district of the Turkistan region. Secondly, the declaration of a state of emergency in the country related to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has affected the harvesting work of farmers. Thirdly, the drought in 2021 has a negative impact on the agricultural sector in the region. However, traditional types of agriculture practiced since ancient times remain a key sector in the economy of the region.

Today, 2.2 times more than in 2020, 28.4 billion tenge (66.9 million dollars) has been invested in the fixed capital of the agricultural sector of the Turkistan region. There are 68.7 thousand farms registered in the region, which constitutes 32% of the total number in the country. At the same time, these farms employ 177.6 thousand people.

The Turkistan region has many advantages in the development of agricultural industry, including its natural climate, transportation and logistics structures. There is also the issue of expanding the irrigated lands in the region. This is one of the main problems of the entire industry. In this context, large-scale water saving projects such as “Waterfall Reservoir”, “Withdrawal of Channel from the Syrdarya River”, “Modernization of Zhetykol lake system” are being implemented in the region. At the same time, within the framework of the “Turkistan region comprehensive socio-economic development plan until 2025”, projects are being implemented to create a food belt of 11 thousand hectares around the city of Turkistan.

As a result, the agricultural performance of the Turkistan region is achieving great results in Kazakhstan. This shows that the agricultural sector is developing in the region. The effective use of new technologies, especially in agriculture, is an important driving force of the regional economy. It’s possible to say that the development of innovative technologies in the agricultural sector will facilitate the training and arrival of new experts in this field.

Written by Daulet Zhaylibayev, Eurasian Research Institute, Kazakhstan Politics, Foreign Affairs, and Security       President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin participated in the 17th Kazakhstan-Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Forum in virtual format. President Tokayev expressed words of gratitude to the Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the assistance provided to Kazakhstan at the start of the pandemic. He noted the importance of launching Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine production at the Karaganda Pharmaceutical Complex. The Head of State reiterated Russia’s status as a strategic partner and ally of Kazakhstan (Kazinform, 30.09.2021). Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the preparations for the eighth summit of the heads of state of the Turkic Council, which would be held on November 12 in Istanbul. Cavusoglu mentioned that the summit would take historic steps for the Council. It is expected that Turkmenistan will join the Turkic Council as an observer. In June 2021, Turkmenistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov met with the Secretary-General of the Turkic Council Baghdad Amreyev to discuss this possibility (Turkmenportal.com, 29.09.2021). The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Ruslan Kazakbaev visited Austria, where he had a meeting with the Vice President of the Federal Economic Chamber of Austria Richard Schenz. The parties discussed current issues of trade and economic cooperation between two countries. They stressed the importance of continuing work within the Kyrgyz-Austrian intergovernmental commission and outlined plans for 2022. The Kyrgyz side expressed interest in organizing training of Kyrgyz entrepreneurs by Austrian experts and proposed to establish joint ventures (Kabar, 02.10.2021).

Top diplomats of the Turkic Council member states Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and observer Hungary, held an extraordinary meeting in Istanbul. The participants discussed the current developments in Afghanistan. In particular, the diplomats focused on ways of maintaining stability in Afghanistan, providing humanitarian aid, preventing a new wave of migration, as well as restricting terrorist groups from taking root again in the country. The meeting was held upon the invitation of Minister Cavusoglu, who also held bilateral talks with his counterparts (Anadolu Agency, 27.09.2021). Turkey and Ukraine signed a memorandum on the construction and technical provision of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and training of personnel related to the use of Bayraktar UAVs. The document was approved in the presence of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by the Defense Minister Andriy Taran, and on the Turkish side by Bayraktar CEO Haluk Bayraktar. The memorandum is an important step towards joint Ukrainian-Turkish production of the drones (President.gov.ua, 29.09.2021). The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Ruslan Kazakbaev in Brussels. The sides discussed recent developments in the EUKyrgyz relations as well as regional issues in Central Asia, including the situation in Afghanistan. They also talked about the finalization of an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), and the preparation of the first EU-Central Asia Economic Forum scheduled to be held in Bishkek on November 5 (Kabar, 29.09.2021).

Economy, Finance, and Energy       In 2021, the Government of Kazakhstan plans to launch 128 projects with a total value of $ 2.3 billion within the framework of the Industrialization Map. These projects will correspondingly increase industrial output and exports by $2.3 billion and $800 million. Moreover, they will create nearly 12.000 jobs in fields such as food,light industries, metallurgy, mechanical engineering and energy. Karagandy and Almaty regions, and Shymkent city show positive dynamics in the commissioning of the projects (Qazaq TV, 28.09.2021).

The Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan recently announced the resumption of supplying flour and grain to Afghanistan. Shipments of these commodities from Kazakhstan to Afghanistan had previously been suspended due to recent political developments in this country. To date, Kazakh producers have exported almost 200.000 tonnes of flour and 33.000 tonnes of grain. Business ties between Kazakh and Afghan business partners remain strong. Afghanistan is one of the main export markets for these goods and a strategic partner for Kazakhstan (Qazaq TV, 29.09.2021).

A Hong Kong-based company called ZRSC Technology plans to invest $43 million into the production of electric vehicles in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana region on the basis of the Central Asia Motors Enterprise. It is expected that the total value of the project will be 55 million dollars and the facility will have an annual production capacity of 10 thousand vehicles. The enterprise will be launched in December 2022. According to the latest data, 33 electric charging stations were functioning throughout the country (UzReport, 28.09.2021).

The Agriculture and Food Ministry of Belarus announced that the share of agribusiness products in Belarus' export was close to 17%. In the first 7 months of 2021, the country exported $3.5 billion worth of food and agricultural raw materials, 109.6% as against the same period last year. As a result, foreign currency earnings increased by $309 million and the foreign trade surplus totaled $1.1 billion. While exporting, the companies take into consideration the external demand on target markets (BelTA, 28.09.2021). The Central Dispatching Department of Fuel Energy Complex of Russia released statistics on the country’s oil exports. According to presented data, Russia’s exports of oil in the first 9 months of 2021 fell by 5.6% year-on-year to 166.2 million tonnes. This decrease was due to the country’s participation in the OPEC+ deal to reduce oil output. However, the signatories of the agreement are gradually easing restrictions. For instance, in September 2021, Russian oil exports increased by 4.1% to 18.6 million tonnes (TASS, 02.10.2021).

Economy Minister of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov recently signed agreements with Turkish companies Eti Bakir A.Ş. and Artvin Maden A.Ş. to provide geological explorations and exploitation of Azerbaijani ore deposits. According to Minister Jabbarov, this step will play a vital role in launching the extractive industry on the country's liberated territories and accelerate the region's economic reintegration. In the first eight months of 2021, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Turkey amounted to $2.8 billion (AzerNews, 01.10.2021).

Prepared by Zhengizkhan Zhanaltay and Kanat Makhanov Society and Culture       The International Turkic Academy presented a book of poems written by Turkish poet Yunus Emre in the Turkish and Kazakh languages in Turkistan. The presentation ceremony was attended by the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Mustafa Sentop and Chairman of the Majilis of the Kazakh Parliament Nurlan Nigmatulin. The year 2021 marks 700 years since the death of the great Turkish poet and it was declared the Year of Yunus Emre by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Kazinform, 29.09.2021).

The Turkish city of Bursa hosted the 9th International Symposium on Altai Communities. The event was organized by the Municipality of Osmangazi in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, the Turkish History Institution and the Union of Municipalities of the Turkic World. The three-day symposium gathered many folklorists from various countries and featured sessions on various subjects. At the end of the opening session, TURKSOY Secretary-General Dusen Kasseinov handed over an ornamented plate of TURKSOY to the Mayor of Osmangazi Mustafa Dundar (Turksoy.org, 27.09.2021).

During a cabinet meeting at the presidential complex in Ankara, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey would send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. The aid will be sent by land via Pakistan as it is both faster and less costly. Afghanistan is currently facing a severe humanitarian crisis as there are shortages of food, medicine and winter clothes. (Yenisafak.com, 29.09.2021). The ancient city of Karon in southeastern Tajikistan will be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Karon is one of the ancient historical monuments and the ancient capital of the Darvaz Kingdom. It was discovered by a member of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Prof. Yusufshokh Yakubov in April 2012. Earlier it was reported that Karon ceased to exist in the 15th century, and it was believed that the inhabitants had left it due to depletion of water resources (ASIA-Plus, 29.09.2021).

Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Turkey Kubanychbek Omuraliev held a meeting with the rector of the Ankara University, Prof. Dr. Necdet Unuvar. During the meeting, the sides noted the need to develop cooperation between Ankara University and Kyrgyz universities through the establishment of friendly relations. The parties agreed to organize a photo exhibition at the University dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the independence of the Kyrgyz Republic. Currently, 41 students from Kyrgyzstan study at the university (Kabar.kg, 27.09.2021). Days of Kazakhstani cinema kicked off in Tashkent. The list of Kazakhstani films to be presented for screening include "Muzbalak", "Kultegin", "Amre", "For You", "Amanat", "The Road to Mother", "Horse Thieves" and "Oralman". The event is being held within the framework of the Tashkent International Film Festival "Pearl of the Silk Road". The Film Festival will also host the Days of Cinema of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Israel, India, Italy, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan (Elorda.info, 29.09.2021).