Environmental policy and administrative management

Financial sustainability of the farms in Karabulak settlement is extensively determined by milk production. Almost all the inhabitants have 2-5 cows, 2100 heads of cattle in total, and milk selling is the main income source for the local community. To arrange the stable milk production and decrease management risks, the owners of the cattle should have strong forage reserve for the cattle breading. The main break is limited pasture territories, strong land degradation round the settlements, unstable forage reserve for the dairy cattle breading and low level of pedigree cattle. The territories that are supposed to be used for forage are ploughed fields, that have been used for wheat growing for many years. Due to decreasing of the ploughed field production, over 600 hectares have been taken out of the agricultural turnover. Project aim: Restore of degrading lands of North Kazakhstan s grain zone for dairy farming development with taking into account gender approach. Project tasks: - Creation of substantial forage reserve for the Karabulak settlement to develop milk livestock breading through establishment of the sowing hayfields on the territory of 120 hectares and forage crops sowing for 124 hectares - Expansion of women participation in the activities on rehabilitation of the degraded pastures - Sharing experience the Olzhas farming company has on rehabilitation and return of the long-fallow lands of Stepnogorsk into agricultural circle in terms of limited pasture territories in the Northern Kazakhstan Project results: The project activities will improve the forage reserve for the dairy cattle breading and will promote establishment of a rural training centre for women-local community members to teach them technologies of arable and meadow provender milling to increase milk production. As well as above mentioned, other noticeable results: - Pastures degradation decreased for 40% (degraded pastures territories will be cut down from 600 till 356 hectares); - 244 hectares of the degraded fallow lands will be re-cultivated by permanent grasses and annual plants with 30-40 centner/hectare yields; - 7, 3 % (women) of Karabulak settlement involved into the project realization - Humus content in the soil stabilized. - Yield of milk rose for 20-30 % in comparison with the existed one due to additional forage production. - The dairy production increased - The green conveyer technology usage experience shared with the neighboring settlements and farms.

Kazakhstan