cotton is cultivated in south kazakhstan and rice in kzylorda both of which depend on irrigation systems based on the syrdarya river almaty oblast has mixed farming with both irrigated agriculture in the south and rainfed agriculture in the eastern foothills for example wheat yields vary strongly within the northern grain region in the parts of north kazakhstan and kostanay adjacent to the russian border with more reliable rainfall and better soils wheat yields are two to three times greater than in the southern part of kostanay oblast or in akmola oblast from to there was a pronounced downward trend in both crop and livestock output the only years when positive growth occurred were the good grain harvest years of and