At the expanded session of the Government chaired by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov noted that within the framework of developing the agro-industrial sector, a priority area is increasing capacity for deep processing of agricultural products.

“An important area is the development of deep processing of agricultural products. For example, this year a large industrial park for deep corn processing will be commissioned in Zhambyl Region. This will enable Kazakhstan to enter the global market for threonine and glutamate. In addition, the new plant will create guaranteed annual demand for corn in the amount of 3 million tonnes. Today, the entire country grows only 1 million tonnes of corn. In other words, a single plant changes the market configuration and gives impetus to the development of specific areas of agricultural production,” Olzhas Bektenov emphasized.

In 2025, six enterprises for deep processing of oilseeds, wool, meat, and milk, as well as the production of compound feed and juices, were built in Kazakhstan. In addition, ten plants in the agro-industrial sector are currently at the implementation stage. In this area, the Government provides special state support measures. For example, for deep grain processing projects, investment subsidies have been increased to 50%, and exemptions from major taxes on the import of equipment and core operations are предусмотрены.

At the same time, a number of unresolved problems in the agro-industrial sector were noted, which affect not only sector indicators but also the standard of living in rural areas. While large-scale investments and adherence to agrotechnologies have made it possible to increase productivity in crop production, livestock farming lags significantly behind in this regard. Growth in this sector does not exceed 2–3%, which is insufficient to address issues of self-sufficiency, development of processing, and expansion of export volumes. There are problems in veterinary services, as well as in scientific and human resource support for livestock farming.

At the same time, some large landowners operate only on a seasonal basis, while unemployment increases in rural areas during the rest of the year. Therefore, conditions have been imposed on land users with holdings of 10 thousand hectares or more requiring mandatory engagement in livestock farming. In case of non-compliance, measures are предусмотрены, up to and including land withdrawal. In this regard, the Comprehensive Livestock Development Plan developed by the Government includes measures such as concessional lending for the purchase of breeding stock, educational grants for the children of livestock farmers, the introduction of modern artificial insemination technologies, and the development of transhumant livestock farming. Measures are also being implemented in the country for the phased modernization of the water sector.

“Last year, 700 km of water canals were reconstructed, and in the current year another 986 km underwent major repairs. Four reservoirs have been modernized. The same number is planned for the current year, and construction of three new reservoirs will also begin. The development of eight basin plans will be completed, which will form the basis of the Master Plan for Integrated Water Resources Management,” Olzhas Bektenov noted.

In accordance with the instruction of the Head of State given at the National Kurultai, a map of water and energy resources will be developed by the end of the year. Water conservation remains a priority. To date, more than one-third of the total irrigated land area is covered by water-saving technologies, which allowed saving 847 million cubic meters of water last year. It is planned to additionally cover about 150 thousand hectares annually. The Ministries of Water Resources and Agriculture have been tasked with preventing possible overreporting.

In addition, attention was given to measures taken by the Government to develop the tourism sector. The work being carried out to update the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Tourism Industry, taking into account current tasks and priorities, was noted.

A number of major projects are being implemented in the sector. In particular, modernization of existing infrastructure and construction of new facilities of the Almaty mountain cluster has begun, including a modern ski resort. The current capacity comprises 17 cableways and 53 km of trails. An additional 46 cableways and 221 km of trails will be commissioned. Construction and installation works will begin in the spring. This year, construction of new airports in Katon-Karagai, Zaysan, and Kenderli will be completed, which will provide additional impetus for the development of tourism in these regions.

#The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan #Agriculture #Agroindustrial complex #President's instruction

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