Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Azat Sultanov reported at the Government session on the work being carried out to supply the domestic market with food products.

He noted that for most basic products the level of self-sufficiency ranges from 80% and above. In addition, targeted work is underway to bring the level of self-sufficiency above 80% for poultry meat, fish, sugar, cheeses and cottage cheese, sausage products and apples by increasing domestic production and substituting imports.

“For example, to strengthen the raw material base of the dairy industry, a preferential lending program for the construction of dairy farms is being implemented. Financing has been provided for 95 farms with a total capacity of over 500 thousand tonnes of milk per year, of which 71 have already been put into operation. By the end of this year, it is planned to launch another 19 farms with a capacity of about 100 thousand tonnes,” Azat Sultanov added.

According to the agency, systematic work is being carried out in meat poultry farming. Over the past five years, production has increased by 58%, imports have decreased by 25%, and the domestic market’s supply with domestic poultry meat has risen from 58% to 78%. The growth has been ensured by the expansion of existing enterprises and the commissioning of new capacities. Work in this direction continues, and plans include the implementation of new large projects such as JSC “Aitas” in the Almaty Region and JSC “Alel Agro” in the Zhambyl Region. The implementation of the new projects will make it possible to significantly increase production and fully supply the domestic market with domestic poultry meat.

The food industry is demonstrating steady positive dynamics. Growth is observed for all major food products. Based on the results of 2025, the volume of food production reached 4 trillion tenge, increasing by 8.4%. In the first half of 2026, the industry maintained a high growth rate — the volume of production increased by 14.7% compared to the same period of the previous year.

The volume of investment in fixed capital of the agro-industrial complex is also showing stable positive dynamics, reaching 1.6 trillion tenge, which is 46% higher than the level of the previous year. In the first half of 2026, the volume of investment in fixed capital of the agro-industrial complex amounted to 926 billion tenge, which is 55% higher compared to the same period of the previous year.

The Comprehensive Plan for the construction of vegetable storage facilities has been successfully implemented: 95 facilities with a total capacity of 745.6 thousand tonnes have been commissioned. This has made it possible to reduce product losses, smooth seasonal fluctuations and ensure stable vegetable supplies during the off-season period. To develop infrastructure for the storage of grain, oilseed and leguminous crops, the Agrarian Credit Corporation has launched lending for the construction of elevators and grain storage facilities.

One of the effective tools for ensuring guaranteed sales of agricultural products is the forward purchase mechanism. It provides for the advance financing of the future harvest by the Food Contract Corporation, which allows agricultural producers to receive funds in advance for field work and ensure the sale of the produced products. Within the framework of the forward purchase of the 2026 harvest, 173 agricultural producers have been financed for a total of about 32 billion tenge. The total volume of contracted products amounts to about 480 thousand tonnes.

Positive dynamics have been ensured by comprehensive state support in the form of subsidies, preferential lending and preferential taxation. This year, the volume of preferential financing for spring field and harvesting works and leasing of agricultural machinery amounted to 1.1 trillion tenge. For these purposes, 272 billion tenge was allocated from the budget, with the remaining funds raised from commercial sources. In addition, 588.3 billion tenge was allocated for subsidizing the industry. Support instruments cover the entire chain — from raw material production and storage to processing, sale of finished products and export.

The mechanism of preferential financing through the Agrarian Credit Corporation and other financial institutions has been simplified: borrowers immediately receive loans at the final preferential rate. This reduces administrative procedures, eliminates cash gaps and ensures the timely delivery of funds to producers and processors. Thanks to these measures, 255 investment projects worth 841 billion tenge were commissioned in the agro-industrial complex in 2025. This year, it is planned to implement 161 investment projects worth 1.3 trillion tenge.

To expand the geography of exports of Kazakhstani products, including to distant markets, work is underway to develop deep processing. In addition to the six large projects being implemented that provide for the production of starches, amino acids, gluten, feed additives and other high value-added products, the Administration of Alatau City, together with the Chinese company “Full Vision Capital”, is also working on a project for the production of aviation fuel from oilseeds. Under special control is the launch this year of a project by the Chinese company Fufeng Group for the deep processing of corn in the Zhambyl Region.

It was noted that the growth of production and processing makes it possible to consistently increase exports. Based on the results of 2025, exports of agro-industrial complex products increased by 37% and reached $7 billion, with more than half accounted for by processed products. Positive dynamics continue in the current year, while foreign trade in agro-industrial complex products has for the first time formed a positive balance.

A notable result of the work of the phytosanitary service has been the expansion of exports of feed flour to China. Coordination of requirements and the admission mechanism has made it possible to process fourth- and fifth-class grain and create sustainable export demand for it. As a result, supplies of feed flour increased 2.4 times — to about 3 million tonnes. Grain exports have expanded significantly. In the 2024/2025 marketing year, supplies of grain and flour in grain equivalent reached a record 15.3 million tonnes. Thanks to measures to stimulate exports, Kazakhstani products have entered the markets of Morocco, Algeria, the UAE, Vietnam and a number of European countries, and supplies to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey have been restored.

The oil and fat industry is developing steadily. Based on the results of 2025, exports of sunflower oil grew by 41%, and refined oil by 2.1 times. To further promote domestic products, systematic work is being carried out to remove veterinary and sanitary barriers. Livestock products from Kazakhstan have been admitted to the markets of 42 countries. In May 2026, the entire territory of the country was officially recognized as free from foot-and-mouth disease with vaccination, which expands opportunities for the export of live animals and livestock products.

For crop products, phytosanitary requirements have been agreed for supplies to China of 21 types of products. The register of enterprises entitled to export to the Chinese market includes 3,604 Kazakhstani enterprises. These measures allow Kazakhstan to occupy leading positions among the world’s food exporters. Thus, based on the results of 2025, Kazakhstan ranked 2nd in the world in exports of flour and flax, 4th in exports of lentils, 6th in sunflower oil, 7th in wheat, and 8th in barley.

“The unconditional priority for us remains saturating the domestic market with high-quality domestic products at prices affordable for the population. At the same time, the most important task is to create conditions for the sustainable development of domestic producers, expand their access to external markets, increase exports of high value-added products, and strengthen and expand Kazakhstan’s positions in world markets,” Azat Sultanov concluded.

#Agriculture #Agroindustrial complex #Government session

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