Brief agrometeorological review for the first ten-day period of May 2026.
In the first ten-day period of May, average ten-day air temperatures in the south and southeast of the country were 2-6°C above normal. In winter grain cultivation areas, precipitation was near or above normal, with the exception of the Zhetisu region, where precipitation was below normal. In most areas of the southeast and south of the country, the "emergence of the lower stem node above the soil surface" phase of development continues; in the vicinity of the Kazygurt weather station, it is "earing," and in the vicinity of Shymkent, it is "flowering."
In the southeast of the country, spring grain crops are primarily experiencing the "emergence"-"booting"-"emergence of the lower stem node" phase of development; in the south, it is "tillering"-"emergence of the lower stem node above the soil surface." Plant condition is good to excellent. In the mountainous and foothill regions of the southeast, spring grain crops have begun to be sown.
In the northwest, near the Lubenka agricultural post in the Chingirlau district of the West Kazakhstan region, spring barley crops are entering the "emergence" phase. Spring barley has begun to be sown near the Pogodaevo agricultural post in the Baiterek district, and spring wheat has begun to be sown near the Fedorovka agricultural post in the Terekty district.
In the east, near the Urzhar meteorological station in the Abay region, sowing began in the third ten-day period of April, with the first shoots of spring wheat observed by the end of the ten-day period. Near the Ulken-Naryn meteorological station in the Ulken-Naryn district of the East Kazakhstan region, spring wheat sowing began early in the ten-day period, with the first shoots observed by the end of the ten-day period.
In the north, oat sowing is underway at observation sites near the Tobol meteorological station in the B. Maylin district of Kostanay region. Near the Golubovka meteorological station in the Irtysh district and the Sharbakty meteorological station in the Sharbakty district of Pavlodar region, spring wheat sowing began after preliminary soil cultivation in the middle of the ten-day period. The "grain germination" phase of development was observed by the end of the ten-day period.
In the center of the country, near the Agrogorodok agricultural post in the Abay district of Karaganda region, spring barley fields (sown in the second ten-day period of April) are in the "third leaf" phase of development, with plants in excellent condition. Spring wheat sowing also began at the end of the ten-day period near the Akzhol agricultural post in the Karkaraly district and the Karaganda agricultural station in the Bukhar-Zhyrau district. In the south of the republic, near the Oshakty agricultural post in the Keles district of the Turkestan region, corn crops are entering the "9-11th leaf" development phase. In the Panfilov district of the Zhetisu region, the "5th leaf" development phase is observed, and near the Zhansugurov weather station in the Aksu district, the "3rd leaf" development phase is observed. Crop condition is good. Corn planting has begun in the Talgar (Talgar weather station) and Yenbekshikazakh (Esik weather station) districts of the Almaty region, with the "emergence" development phase observed in the Talgar district by the end of the ten-day period.
In the Borodulikha and Urzhar (Dmitrievka and Urzhar weather stations) districts of the Abay region, sunflower planting has begun after preliminary soil tillage, with the "emergence" development phase observed by the end of the ten-day period. Sunflower sowing has begun in the Glubokovsky and Ulken-Naryn districts and in the Altay region of the East Kazakhstan region (Berezovka agricultural post, Ulken-Naryn and Zyryanovsk weather stations).
In the Yenbekshikazakh (Yesik weather station) and Kegen districts (Zhalanash weather station) of the Almaty region, potato planting began at the end of the current ten-day period. Potato tubers are still being planted near the city of Petropavlovsk in the North Kazakhstan region. In the Alakol district (Lepsy weather station) of the Zhetisu region, potato seedlings have begun being planted in the ground.
In the Maktaaral, Ordabasy, and Zhetisay districts of the Turkestan region, cotton fields are in the "seedling" - "first true leaf" stage of development. Plant condition is good to excellent. In the Shiyelinsky district of the Kyzylorda region, rice crops are in the "shoot" stage of development. Plant condition is good.
In the Almaty, Zhambyl, Turkestan, and Zhetisu regions, apple, pear, and cherry trees in orchards are in the "end of flowering" - "fruit formation" stages. Fruit crops are generally in good condition.
As of the last day of the ten-day period, the overall condition of pasture grass is generally good. Excellent grass condition is observed in the Balkhash and Yenbekshikazakh districts of the Almaty region, the Zhanybek district of the West Kazakhstan region, the Shet district of the Karaganda region, the Beineu district of the Mangistau region, the Ualikhanov and Akzhar districts of the North Kazakhstan region, and the Sozak district of the Turkestan region.
Based on soil moisture observations, productive moisture reserves in the west, north, east, and south of the country were generally optimal and satisfactory, but in most observation sites in the Karaganda region, moisture accumulation was insufficient. Moisture deficiency was also recorded in arable land.
