Bektenov Warns Farmers: No Irrigation Water If Crop Limits Are Exceeded

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov issued a stark warning to Kazakhstan’s agricultural producers, stating that farms will not receive irrigation water if they expand plantings of water-intensive crops beyond approved limits, Orda.kz reports.

Bektenov instructed the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation to strictly enforce irrigation quotas and prevent any water supply above established thresholds.

If we say a farm should have 100 hectares, and if tomorrow they plant more than one hectare, we won't supply another drop of water. If tomorrow the indicators approved by the Ministry of Agriculture are violated, not a single tiyn from the budget will be reimbursed. This must be discussed openly,
 the prime minister stated.

Regional akimats and relevant government bodies were ordered to ensure full compliance with crop-area diversification targets. The warning comes as the government prepares for what officials describe as an increasingly alarming water situation.

At the same meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev cautioned that Kazakhstan is headed into a low-water year:

The projected water inflow for the 2026 growing season is estimated at only 1–1.5 billion cubic meters, creating a risk of a deficit of up to one billion cubic meters. In a number of regions, planned targets for reducing water-intensive crops in 2025 have not been met.

According to Bozumbayev, the low-water cycle remains acute across southern Kazakhstan. Water inflow into the Shardara Reservoir has dropped by 43%, and reserves in the major reservoirs of the Naryn–Syrdarya Cascade are now 3.8 billion cubic meters below last year’s levels.

To safeguard the upcoming irrigation season, the government is implementing strict water-use controls.

On November 27, the Senate approved Kazakhstan’s ratification of the Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes — a step intended to tighten regulation and improve water management at the national level.

Original Author: Anastasia Prilepskaya