Farmers ask for protection of crops from saiga invasion

While locusts are raging in one region, farmers in Akmola region are unable to cope with the saiga invasion. The main grain-growing districts of Atbasar, Astrakhan, Korgalzhyn, Zharkain, Yegindykol, and Tselinograd are suffering heavy losses due to their raids, World of NAN reports with reference to the NCE.

Farmers invest millions of dollars in sowing. In order to protect their fields from saigas, entrepreneurs have to organize permanent vigils, which is an additional expense.

However, hunting saigas is prohibited, as they are protected by UNESCO. Agrarians also cannot insure their fields against the invasion of rare animals, as there is no such insurance available today.

At the same time, agricultural producers have current credit obligations to financial institutions. In case of inaction of the authorized bodies, this may further aggravate the financial situation of agrarians.

Last year, agricultural producers of the region suffered heavy losses both in gross output and in material terms. The damage caused by saigas killing crops exceeded 8 billion tenge (at a rate of 55,000 tenge per 1 ha).

According to Temirkhan Zhangeldin, head of one of the largest farms in Zharkai district, there are even more saigas this year.

"Their distribution area has increased, saigas are moving further and deeper into the territory of our district. We put wagons in the fields to fence them in, bought quadricycles, and hired people to drive the animals away, but without success. The situation is aggravated by the drought, which affects the crops, and the saiga also destroys them due to the lack of fodder," the farmer complains.

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