At the Government session, Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov reported on the results of the 2025 harvesting campaign.

He noted that the outgoing agricultural season demonstrated steady growth in agricultural production.

“This year has been record-breaking not only for grain but also for the main high-yield and high-demand crops such as legumes and oilseeds, which were prioritized during the diversification of cropland,” Aidarbek Saparov said.

According to the Minister, the harvesting of cereal grains has been completed across the country. From 16 million hectares at an average yield of 17 centners per hectare, a total of 27.1 million tons of grain was threshed. From 12.2 million hectares of wheat, 20.3 million tons were harvested — half a million tons more than last year’s level. Despite a reduction of nearly 900 thousand hectares in wheat acreage as part of diversification, production volumes were not only maintained but significantly increased.

Barley yields amounted to around 4 million tons, consistent with the previous year. For the first time, the legume harvest reached 1 million tons. A record 4.3 million tons of oilseeds were collected, and harvesting of these crops is still ongoing. Additionally, 2.9 million tons of potatoes, 3.8 million tons of vegetables, and 2.6 million tons of melons were harvested. The cotton harvest has also been completed — thanks to the introduction of modern technologies, including drip irrigation, some farms achieved yields of up to 50 centners per hectare. On average, at a yield of nearly 30 centners per hectare, 428 thousand tons of raw cotton were collected — 42% more than the previous year.

For the first time, 1.8 million tons of mineral fertilizers were applied — 56% of the scientifically based requirement. The share of elite seeds increased from 9.5% to 11.5%, exceeding the planned 10.5%.

It was noted that the practice of early financing continues, and as of October 1 of this year, applications for financing the 2026 spring fieldwork have already begun. Furthermore, starting from the second decade of November, a credit line mechanism will be introduced, allowing farmers to obtain revolving annual financing using the same collateral.

According to the Ministry, the preferential leasing program, which reached 250 billion tenge, has allowed the rate of equipment renewal to rise to 6.5%, while the wear and tear of the machinery fleet decreased from 80% to 70% over two years. The harvested grain volumes are sufficient to fully meet domestic demand.

In addition, Kazakhstan’s export potential will be maintained. Grain exports from the previous season totaled 13.4 million tons, 47% higher than the preceding marketing year — a result supported by transportation subsidies.

“We plan to maintain this export level; therefore, this measure has been extended until September 1, 2026. I would like to note that this year we began exports to several new nontraditional markets such as Belgium, Portugal, Poland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, the UAE, and countries of North Africa. Furthermore, exports to Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia have been resumed,” Aidarbek Saparov said.

He emphasized that demand for Kazakh grain remains strong: approximately 2.2 million tons of new-crop grain have already been exported — 21% higher than the same period last year.

In line with the President’s directive to stimulate exports of value-added products, five investment projects on deep grain processing are being implemented. These projects will collectively remove an additional 2.5 million tons of grain from the raw export market.

From the new harvest, 7.7 million tons of grain have been delivered to elevators. The total grain storage capacity in Kazakhstan amounts to 30.7 million tons, including 13.3 million tons at licensed grain-receiving enterprises and 17.4 million tons at agricultural producers’ facilities. Of the stored soft wheat, 53% are of high quality, 35% belong to the fourth class, and 12% to the fifth class or non-graded category.

Saparov added that next year the crop diversification program will continue, focusing on expanding high-yield, high-value crops and reducing water-intensive ones.

“Starting next year, control over diversification indicators will be tightened. I urge regional authorities to begin explanatory work among farmers and plan next season’s crop structure in advance,” Aidarbek Saparov stressed.

According to regional data, the seed requirement for next year is 2.3 million tons, of which 2.2 million tons (96%) have already been stored. Regional akimats have been instructed to begin testing seed quality for planting purposes.

#Agriculture #Agroindustrial complex #Government session #President's instruction

• 
• 
• 
•