Farmers this year have noticed a rise in feed prices in the Chuy region. For instance, a bale of straw costs 200 soms, alfalfa is priced above 300 soms, and mountain grasses are over 270 soms. “Quality hay sells for up to 450 soms per bale. In such conditions, buying a bundle of corn stalks for 80 soms seems like a more reasonable solution,” added Samat Aydaraliev.
In early February 2025, Turmush reported that despite the low hay yield this season, its price remained at the same level. However, farmers from the Chuy region have stopped actively purchasing hay, especially alfalfa.
Despite the low yield, the price of hay has not changed: it can be bought from farmers' fields for prices ranging from 160 to 200 soms. “If the hay gets wet from the rain after cutting, its value decreases. Pure alfalfa without impurities costs up to 250 soms. A low price for hay would benefit livestock breeders, but due to the high cost of feed, some of them are reducing their herds,” farmers shared their opinions.
A farmer from the Sokuluk district, Maksat Alymkulov, noted: “Why doesn't the price of hay rise despite the low yield? Because farmers in the Chuy Valley have massively switched to silage. Now they do not depend on purchasing hay from each other. Farmers from the Naryn and Issyk-Kul regions are now buying hay from the Chuy region. If it weren't for silage, hay prices could have significantly increased this year, causing a rush.”
Kalybek Majitov, head of the agricultural development department of the Kemin district, confirmed the farmers' opinions. “At the beginning of May, a week of heat destroyed the hay, and pastures suffered, leading to a low yield of grasses. Unlike last year's rainy season, farmers from Naryn and Issyk-Kul are now coming to the Chuy region for hay. After the intense heat, the nights became cold, which also negatively affected hay growth. In 2023, farmers faced difficulties, but now they are massively producing silage from corn. This is what keeps hay prices stable. Silage is prepared both in rolls and in pits and sold directly from the site. This creates difficulties for livestock breeders from Issyk-Kul and Naryn. I have heard that they have also started growing silage in the Issyk-Kul region.”
Nevertheless, farmers from Naryn, where corn does not grow, continue to purchase hay from the Chuy region. Silage is a technical crop: corn is planted, harvested, and placed in prepared pits, where it is compacted. This not only covers costs but also brings profit. From one hectare, up to 50 tons of silage can be obtained, and in a roll, the weight is about 80 kg. The price ranges from 4 to 7 soms per kg depending on quality and the presence of grains. If the grains are threshed, the silage becomes similar to compound feed, and the livestock that eats it no longer needs compound feed. Animals fed silage become more well-fed, cows produce more milk, and the livestock remains calm, needing just one portion to be full until evening.
However, there are nuances: silage with strong fermentation should not be given to pregnant mares and cows preparing for calving, as it can be harmful. It is safe for sheep, though. Caring for cattle and horses requires a particularly careful approach during pregnancy. Thanks to silage, livestock in the Chuy region has become more well-fed, and now every second farmer there is engaged in its production. However, corn cannot be planted every year, as this depletes the soil. Therefore, farmers alternate it with other crops, such as wheat or barley. For example, if a farmer has two hectares of land, he plants one hectare with silage — this is enough for both personal use and sale. The following year, he swaps the crops to maintain soil fertility, and all farmers know this.
The presidential representative office in the Chuy region reported that this year, perennial forage grasses were sown on an area of 6,964 hectares.
