Efficient at the perfect time

Zharas Kanapin and his family run two farms in Kazakhstan. He relies on state-of-the-art technology to make optimum use of the limited time frame available. He tells terraHORSCH why the HORSCH Sprinter became a key machine for him and how Michael Horsch gave him a new business idea.

Zharas Kanapin grew up on a farm in Kazakhstan which was run by his father. As part of a programme for Kazakh students, he came to Germany and studied agricultural management at the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences. He then worked in the plant protection sector for seven years before returning to Kazakhstan in 2008.

Setting up two farms

Back home, he and his father acquired a farm north-west of Astana with around 3,000 ha which laid the foundations. Further land was added in the following years. Today, the TOO Oksanovka farm covers 12,000 ha. The next major step followed in 2022 with the purchase of TOO Chernigovka. This farm is located around 60 km south of Astana and also covers almost 12,000 ha. Zharas Kanapin manages the farms together with his father, uncle and three brothers. “We are a family business,” he says. The first HORSCH machine, the Sprinter 15 NT, arrived in 2012. "The technology of this machine was new in Kazakhstan at that time. A tine spacing of 30 cm did not exist before. A lot of farmers were afraid that weeds would increase, but we believed in the system and worked with it. Already after just two years, we realised that the yields were significantly higher than with other seed drills," Zharas Kanapin states. The recommendation for this machine came from Claus Tischer, the founder of the dealer CT Agro: "He told me: ‘You can't go wrong with this machine.’ And he was right." Today, a total of 13 Sprinter 15 NTs is used on the two farms. "We see a big advantage in the tines. When the upper part of the soil is desiccated, many coulters can no longer penetrate the soil. With the Sprinter's tine seed coulter, we can sow without any problems as the seed is placed below the upper dry layer."

In addition to the Sprinters, the machinery includes the Avatar 12.20 SW, the Maestro 36.60 SV, the Joker 7 RT+, the Tiger 4 MT, a Leeb PT 6.280 and a Leeb VL. With these efficient machines, the family cultivates a total of 24,000 ha. On the northern farm, around 6,000 ha of wheat, 2,000 ha of barley and 3,000 ha of sunflowers are grown. In the south, they grow 6,000 ha of wheat and 6,000 ha of durum wheat. “We have many hours of sunshine in this region, so the quality of durum wheat here is excellent,” the farm manager explains. To further increase quality and yields, last year they invested in an irrigation system on 700 ha. This year, a further 850 ha will follow, so that a total of almost 1,500 ha can be irrigated. For the current season, they are planning to cultivate safflower on around 2,000 ha. “We think that oil crops have a future,” Zharas Kanapin says. “We would like to cultivate almost 30% of our land with oil crops in the future - sunflowers in the north and safflower in the south.”

Clever investmen

Michael Horsch gave him a special business idea during one of his visits to Kazakhstan. "He told me that he had built two silos for 3,000 tonnes of grain each in the Czech Republic. He stored 6,000 tonnes of barley there in autumn, as the selling price was very low at that time. In spring, he was then able to sell the barley for a better price. That got me thinking. In 2011, harvest was very good and, as a result, the grain price on the market was very low. We also waited and sold the grain at a later date for a much better price."

Tight time frame

The optimum time to start sowing is particularly crucial. "There usually is snow on the fields until mid-April. It therefore takes a while for the soil to dry and warm up. From the beginning of May, temperatures rise very quickly, and the wind also helps to dry out the fields." Therefore, the ideal time frame is very narrow. Field work in Kazakhstan normally begins at the end of April. The main objective of the first cultivation is to break capillaries to prevent water evaporation. Another advantage is that by cultivating the first 2-3 cm of the soil, the spring sun can warm the soil better. Seeding then begins between 10^th and 15^th May. "We don't sow a hectare without fertiliser. In my opinion, that doesn't make sense. All our Sprinter NTs can apply solid fertiliser," Zharas Kanapin says. A combination of direct seeding with simultaneous fertilisation is common in Kazakhstan and is one of the most effective measures for increasing yields. Because of the snow which lies on the fields for a long time, the time frame for seeding is very short. “We have to get done a lot in these days to achieve appropriate yields.” The farms are very well equipped with regard to machines to work efficiently during this tight time frame and lay the foundation for a good harvest. The perfect timing is particularly relevant to create good germination conditions and to optimally get the plants through difficult phases: "Around the 15^thJune, it usually is very hot. If the heat hits the wheat at a small stage, it survives better. If it is larger and needs more water, it is more affected by heat," the farm manager explains.

“In the past 50 years, we had just one total breakdown where we were not able to harvest anything from the fields,” Zharas Kanapin recalls. "2023 was another extremely difficult year with considerable losses. The quality of the wheat was poor, and we recorded losses of 40%." To ensure economic stability even in weaker harvest years, the family looked for new opportunities. "So we came up with the idea of setting up milk production at our southern farm. The farm is only around 60 kilometres away from Astana. The city's population is growing and so is the demand for dairy products." The plans were realised quickly. They are going to start this year with 1,000 dairy cows.

Putting their heart and soul into work

A total of 150 people is employed on the farms all year round, plus 20 seasonal workers for the grain storage. “We will be hiring another 60 people for the dairy farm this year,” he explains. Offering year-round employment is not always common: "Finding suitable employees for agricultural machinery is difficult these days. The demand for labour is very high. That's why we try to keep our employees. We find jobs all the year round – whether for clearing snow in winter or in spring for various repairs, maintenance and preparations for the season," Zharas Kanapin says. "Many companies are looking for employees from May to October. During this time, however, people don't get to know the farm or the structures and soils very well. With our soils, we cannot work only with financial resources and our hands, we have to put our heart into it. That's why we need skilled labour with excellent knowledge. This combination of the right machines, knowledge and passion achieves yield and success."