At the Government session chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, issues related to the spring fieldwork and the vegetative period were discussed. Reports were delivered by Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov, Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhenov, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nysanbayev, as well as the governors (akims) of several regions.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the sown area in Kazakhstan in 2025 will total 23.7 million hectares — 413,000 hectares more than the previous year. As part of agricultural diversification efforts over the past two years, the area under wheat has been reduced by 750,000 hectares, while the sowing of forage and oilseed crops has increased to 3.3 million hectares. Sunflower will cover 1.4 million hectares; grain and leguminous crops — 16.6 million hectares; cotton — 135,000 hectares.

The Prime Minister emphasized the need for urgent measures to combat locusts in the Turkistan and Zhambyl regions, instructing relevant authorities to carry out protective actions and enhance interdepartmental coordination for prompt response.

Olzhas Bektenov highlighted that in the context of rising global agricultural prices, priority areas of work include ensuring national food security and strengthening the export potential of the agricultural sector, including through encouraging deep processing of agricultural products.

"The Government has taken the necessary steps to fund and provide material and technical support for agricultural work. At this stage, it is especially important to ensure the effective and coordinated implementation of planned activities. Sowing must be completed within the established timeframe. As the Head of State has emphasized, farmers need to increase the sown areas of crops for which there is steady domestic and international demand, and such directions must receive priority state support. The approved plans for diversification of the crop structure must be fulfilled," the Prime Minister stated.

This year, state support volumes have been significantly increased. 700 billion tenge have been allocated for spring fieldwork and harvesting, and 200 billion tenge for preferential leasing programs.

Olzhas Bektenov instructed local governments (akimats) to ensure constant monitoring of the targeted and efficient use of budget funds. At the same time, financing should be provided exclusively to efficient and responsible producers.

The Prime Minister raised the issue of inconsistency between the amount of fertilizer applied and scientifically justified needs, instructing efforts to incentivize domestic producers to prioritize supplying the domestic market. The Ministries of Industry and Agriculture were also tasked with ensuring proper coordination in supplying farmers with sufficient and affordable fertilizers.

Attention was also given to the readiness of agricultural machinery. It was noted that funds allocated for leasing must be used efficiently, in a targeted and transparent manner.

Olzhas Bektenov emphasized the inadmissibility of misusing subsidized diesel fuel and the need to ensure that farmers receive the fuel in the designated quantities. Accordingly, regional authorities were instructed to conduct systematic monitoring and provide the Ministry of Energy with weekly updated information on the volumes of subsidized fuel shipped and remaining. To date, about 220,000 tons have already been delivered.

Additionally, the Prime Minister noted the importance of simplifying application procedures and ensuring transparent access to preferential financing for the widest possible range of farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture, together with the Baiterek Holding, was tasked with optimizing these procedures.

Work is underway to digitize the agricultural sector. The Government has allocated funds for the purchase of drones to monitor sown areas. Olzhas Bektenov instructed the Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Digital Development to accelerate the implementation of digital tools aimed at crop monitoring, early risk detection, and supporting domestic technological solutions and startups.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of ensuring farmers have access to the necessary water resources, particularly in the face of climate challenges and reduced water availability. Successfully passing through the vegetative period is especially critical and requires a systemic approach. In this regard, it is necessary to reduce dependence on water-intensive crops and carry out awareness-raising campaigns at the local level to transition farmers to drought-resistant agro-technologies, involving scientific institutions in the process. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and regional authorities, was instructed to step up efforts to implement water-saving technologies in agriculture. This includes prioritizing funding for regions at higher risk of water shortages and taking comprehensive measures to encourage farmers to transition to drip and sprinkler irrigation systems.

Olzhas Bektenov noted that possible weather-related risks must not impact the quality and quantity of the future harvest. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources was instructed to ensure timely delivery of weather forecasts to enable rapid response.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Ministry of Agriculture, together with regional authorities, must ensure proper oversight of spring fieldwork, including through the Operational Headquarters under the Government.

#Olzhas Bektenov #Agriculture #Government session #Spring field work

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