The Hungarian company Soil Solution is considering the establishment of a factory in Kazakhstan for the production of a product that helps conserve water, as reported by the business information center Kapital.kz, citing the press service of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
“The first phase of testing the Hungarian water-saving product has been completed in Kazakhstan. At the initiative of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, four research institutes participated in the trials. These include the Kazakh Research Institute of Water Management in Taraz, the Kazakh Research Institute of Rice Farming named after I. Zhakhaev in Kyzylorda, the Agricultural Experimental Station for Cotton and Melon Growing, and the Institute of Agrarian Innovations. During the trials, the effect of the product on soil moisture in various groups and climatic conditions, as well as the increase in yield with small volumes of irrigation water, was studied,” reported the Ministry of Irrigation.
According to scientists, the product can save up to 37% water in rice fields. While traditional methods require watering rice for 90 days, using the product allows for moisture retention with just 51 days of watering. Water savings of 23.9% were achieved for sugar beets, and up to 28.7% for corn. Experts also note an increase in yield.
“The first phase of testing showed good results. The next step is to verify the product's effectiveness on larger planting areas. For this, we need to meet with farmers to show them the test results and provide explanations. Each year, the demand for irrigation water is growing, and our farming households are interested in transitioning to modern water-saving methods,” said Minister Nurzhan Nurzhigitov.
For their part, representatives of the Hungarian company Soil Solution stated that they intend to open a manufacturing plant for the product in Kazakhstan if there is significant demand from farmers.
“Currently, we are also considering the possibility of opening a factory for producing our product in Kazakhstan. This would reduce transportation costs, making the product significantly cheaper for farmers. Additionally, it would enable the export of Kazakhstani-produced goods abroad,” said Soil Solution representative Daniel Repassi .