Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan introduces carbon farming for soil restoration
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture is actively addressing the issue of pasture land degradation through a series of strategic measures, including the introduction of carbon farming for soil restoration. This is part of a broader effort to enhance land management and improve soil fertility.
The issue of pasture land degradation remains critical in Kazakhstan, with significant portions of agricultural land facing erosion, salinity, and depletion due to unsustainable land use practices. To combat these challenges, the Ministry of Agriculture has developed a comprehensive roadmap for 2024-2030 aimed at restoring soil fertility. This includes the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices and technologies such as carbon farming.
Carbon farming involves practices that increase soil carbon content, which helps in both enhancing soil fertility and combating climate change by capturing and storing carbon from the atmosphere. This initiative is seen as a key solution to the growing land degradation problem in Kazakhstan, as it will not only restore soil health but also contribute to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gases.
Moreover, the Ministry is working with local authorities to introduce more robust regulations and provide financial support for land restoration. In line with these efforts, the government has passed provisions in the new Budget Code to allocate district funds specifically for the restoration of pastures. This approach is expected to create a more sustainable framework for managing land resources across the country.
In addition to replanting pasture lands with forage grasses, the government is focusing on utilizing unused lands for agricultural purposes after conducting scientific assessments to determine their suitability. This initiative is expected to support local communities by either returning the lands to agricultural production or making them available for communal use.
Kazakhstan is also working on creating a digital map that will track the carbon content in soils, further enhancing the country’s ability to monitor and manage its land resources effectively.
In conclusion, these measures demonstrate Kazakhstan's commitment to restoring its agricultural land, improving soil fertility, and adopting sustainable farming practices. The introduction of carbon farming, alongside legislative and financial support, marks a significant step toward addressing the land degradation issues facing the country.
Based on material of www.Kazinform.kz