Kazakhstan to Correct False Harvests That Echo Soviet-Era Deceit
- Regional officials overestimated some crops to win favor
- Deputy Prime Minister says accurate statistics are required
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Regional officials, seeking to win favor with Kazakhstan’s leadership, overestimated the country’s grain harvest by as much as 3 million tons last year, according to the deputy prime minister.
In a throwback to Soviet-era misinformation, Kazakhstan’s grain crop was overstated by about 20%. The figures, including 2.1 million tons of wheat, were falsified by regional heads in a system that rewarded higher production, Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin, who’s responsible for trade and agriculture, said in interview.