SMK QLD Transforms Farming in Uzbekistan: Redesigning Fields and Increasing Yields
SMK QLD were approached by Peter Corish (Corish Farming) to contribute Australian expertise in the completion of a farming redevelopment project in Uzbekistan for Indorama. We are engaged to complete the survey, design and management aspects of this project.
We are now moving into our 5th year of working on the project which has resulted in over 10 trips abroad thus far ranging from 2-4 weeks each for Jeffrey and Ralph.
We have been met with many challenges including overcoming the language barrier (main language spoken is Uzbek and Russian), cultural and environmental differences.
We have trained and supported 3 young Uzbek surveyors to continue field work and share data when we are home in Goondiwindi. The field design occurs from the Gundy office and data shared back to the team in Uzbekistan to commence construction.
The original/initial farming methods were manual oriented which saw the cutting of wheat and picking of cotton crops completed and stacked by hand.
Modernisation of these methods is being completed using John Deere equipment in all aspects of operations. To give scale – the machinery in operation is 12 drag buckets, 12 GPS drag buckets and 14 drag scrapers with various construction equipment assisting.
The goals to achieve of redesign are: to increase/maximise field sizes, to laser level fields to allow for irrigation and drainage to occur effectively, for major supply channel construction to deliver water efficiently to all areas of farms
So far of the 50k hectares of farms to be redeveloped (surveyed and designed) we have 40k hectares that has been surveyed and 20k hectares of irrigated fields that have then been re-designed.
The redesign has resulted in up to 50% increase in wheat yields and 30-40% increase in cotton yields so far.
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