October 13, 2000

USDA BOOSTS KAZAKSTAN WHEAT ESTIMATE

The USDA raised its estimate of Kazakstan 2000/2001 wheat production to 9.0 million tons, up from 8.5 million last month, but down from 11.2 million last year. Total grain output is estimated at 11.0 million tons against 14.2 million last year. According to a report issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, harvest was virtually complete as of October 12. Production has exceeded earlier expectations, due to a combination of favorable October weather -- which enabled farmers to harvest nearly all of the sown area of 12.4 million hectares -- and an increase in yield during the final stretch of the harvest campaign. (See September 27 assessment.)

The pace of the harvest is actually ahead of last year, in terms of area threshed, but yield is down significantly, from 1.33 to 1.05 tons per hectare. Last year, persistently dry weather allowed harvest to continue throughout October, and bunker-weight production (before cleaning and drying) surpassed 15 million tons, compared to 12.8 million this year.

For more information, contact Mark Lindeman with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division on (202) 720-0888.