Rice farming in the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan: optimization of performance through the PIM model

The purpose is to assess the economic efficiency of irrigated rice farms in the Kyzylorda region and the possibilities of increasing performance through the implementation of the innovative water resource management system Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM).

Methods - — comparative econometric analysis based on foreign experience in water-use planning. The methodological basis employed the Cobb–Douglas production function built on data from 303 rice-growing complexes in Northern Thailand, which made it possible to adapt international practices to the specifics of the republic’s water management and lay the foundation for developing a regional stochastic production model considering agrotechnological and climatic conditions. The calculations carried out made it possible to analyze the level of technical profitability and determine productivity growth potential under conditions of water scarcity. Special attention is paid to the analysis of a high-tech network for joint regulation of the water fund using PIM.

Results — modeling showed that projected yields based on foreign technologies exceed the actual indicators of Kazakhstani entities, indicating the presence of unused enterprise potential. It was established that the PIM software complex contributes to the optimization of water ecosystems and the practical efficiency of labor and agrotechnical Methods -.

Conclusions — the application of international best practices and creative management solutions in water management will form the basis for a long-term strategy for the sustainable development of rice farming in the region. The obtained results confirm the expediency of implementing PIM platform elements in agricultural formations, which will ensure production rationality, feasibility, and cost efficiency, reduce water resource losses, and minimize negative impacts on the ecological environment of the Aral Sea region.

1. Suwanmaneepong, S., Llones, C., Mankeb, P., Wongtragoon, U. (2024). Participatory irrigation management, social capital, and efficiency in rice production: Understanding the linkage in the case of irrigated rice farms in Northern Thailand. Heliyon, 10(11), e32301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32301 [in English].

2. Nyam, Y.S., Kotir, J.H., Jordaan, A.J., Ogundeji, A.A., Turton, A.R. (2020). Drivers of change in sustainable water management and agricultural development in South Africa: A participatory approach. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 6(4), 62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-020-00420-9 [in English].

3. Suwanmontri, P., Kamoshita, A., Fukai, S. (2021). Recent changes in rice production in rainfed lowland and irrigated ecosystems in Thailand. Plant Production Science, 24, 15–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/1343943X.2020.1787182 [in English].

4. Llones, C.A., Mankeb, P., Wongtragoon, U., Suwanmaneepong, S. (2022). Production efficiency and the role of collective actions among irrigated rice farms in Northern Thailand. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability, 20(6), 1047–1057. https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2022.2047464 [in English].

5. Tavan, M., Wee, B., Brodie, G., Fuentes, S., Pang, A., Gupta, D. (2021). Optimizing sensor-based irrigation management in a soilless vertical farm for growing microgreens. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 4, 622720. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2020.622720 [in English].

6. Mallareddy, M., Thirumalaikumar, R., Balasubramanian, P., Naseeruddin, R., Nithya, N., Mariadoss, A., Vijayakumar, S. (2023). Maximizing water use efficiency in rice farming: A comprehensive review of innovative irrigation management technologies. Water, 15(10), 1802. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15101802 [in English].

7. Llones, C., Mankeb, P., Wongtragoon, U., Suwanmaneepong, S. (2022). Bonding and bridging social capital towards collective action in participatory irrigation management: Evidence from Chiang Rai Province, Northern Thailand. International Journal of Social Economics, 49(2), 296–311. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-05-2021-0273 [in English].

8. Abiri, R., Rizan, N., Balasundram, S.K., Shahbazi, A.B., Abdul-Hamid, H. (2023). Application of digital technologies for ensuring agricultural productivity. Heliyon, 9(12), e22601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22601 [in English].

9. Tirtalistyani, R., Murtiningrum, M., Kanwar, R.S. (2022). Indonesia rice irrigation system: Time for innovation. Sustainability, 14(19), 12477. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912477 [in English].

10. Lider po proizvodstvu risa v Kazakhstane “Abzal i K”. (2023). [Leader in rice production in Kazakhstan “Abzal & Co.”]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCppFPTRbDg&t=1070s (date of access: 09.09.2025) [in Russian].

11. Mubeen, K., Sarwar, N., Shehzad, M., Ghaffar, A., Aziz, M. (2022). Irrigation management in rice. In: Modern Techniques of Rice Crop Production, Singapore: Springer, 105–114. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-4955-4_8 [in English].

12. Zhang, Y., Wang, W., Li, S., Zhu, K., Hua, X., Harrison, M.T., Chen, Y. (2023). Integrated management approaches enabling sustainable rice production under alternate wetting and drying irrigation. Agricultural Water Management, 281, 108265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2023.108265 [in English].

13. Jamal, M.R., Kristiansen, P., Kabir, M.J., Lobry de Bruyn, L. (2023). Challenges and adaptations for resilient rice production under changing environments in Bangladesh. Land, 12(6), 1217. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061217 [in English].

14. Arouna, A., Dzomeku, I.K., Shaibu, A.G., Nurudeen, A.R. (2023). Water management for sustainable irrigation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) production: A review. Agronomy, 13(6), 1522. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13061522 [in English].

15. He, G., Wang, Z., Cui, Z. (2020). Managing irrigation water for sustainable rice production in China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 245, 118928. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118928 [in English].