Preparations by livestock farms for winter were discussed at a meeting chaired by Zhambyl Region akim Erbol Karashukeyev. The main topics were fodder procurement, readiness of wintering sites and veterinary safety.
According to Abdirasil Zheleubayev, head of the regional agriculture department, livestock numbers grew from 3.8 million to 4.1 million in the first nine months of the year, an increase of 300,000 head.
During the coming winter, farms in the region will keep 484,900 cattle, 3.5 million sheep and goats, 204,200 horses and 8,600 camels.
The region planned to procure 3.3 million tonnes of fodder this year. So far, 3.365 million tonnes have been prepared, or 101.4% of the target. This includes 2 million 284,600 tonnes of hay, 134,700 tonnes of haylage, 491,900 tonnes of straw, 117,100 tonnes of silage and 337,900 tonnes of concentrated feed.
Despite exceeding the overall target, some areas have not completed planned procurement. The Moiynkum and T. Ryskulov districts are behind on haylage, while the Zhambyl, Moiynkum and Talas districts have not finished procuring concentrated feed. For household subsidiary farms, 1,519.7 tonnes of fodder have been prepared against a target of 1,485.8 tonnes. Agricultural producers have signed 98 memorandums to supply feed at affordable prices.
A bale of hay currently costs 600–700 tenge in the region, while alfalfa costs 1,000–1,200 tenge. Concentrated feed is sold for 110–120 tenge per kilogram. The akim ordered regular price monitoring and work on a reserve fodder fund to curb unjustified price increases.
The region has 5,862 livestock wintering sites, including 1,020 on remote pastures. Karashukeyev called for advance checks at each site, including roads, communications, water, fuel and fodder supplies, and said vaccination should be completed before the season starts. Mobile veterinary teams are to be formed for remote farms, and biothermal pits brought into compliance with requirements.
The akim also called for stepped-up preventive raids against livestock theft and joint monitoring of livestock transport with veterinary services. Officials were tasked with completing winter preparations, assessing the actual fodder needs of household subsidiary farms, increasing the number of memorandums, and arranging snow-clearing equipment and contractors for roads to wintering sites in advance.
