The FBRK editorial team continues to analyse the dynamics of Kazakhstan's largest land users in order to determine how much agricultural land has been seized from them recently.
As a reminder, we are receiving a large number of complaints from various regions that land seizures are happening to small and medium-sized farms, while the work should have been aimed at seizing the territories of latifundists.
The only department directly responsible for this procedure is the Committee for Land Resources Management. After reviewing the territories of Pavlodar Region, we concluded that no significant changes had occurred in the areas held by latifundists.
In this regard, we are trying to understand in whose interests the CLRM is carrying out the land seizure work. In this article, we will examine land users in one of the most grain-producing regions – Kostanay Region.
ALTINSARINO LLP
Thus, the region's largest latifundist, occupying 177,800 hectares of agricultural land - Altinsarino LLP (growing cereals and leguminous crops, including seed production), has been registered since 2003.
The first head of the company is Boris Knyazev, the founders are: Boris Knyazev, Kadyr Bermagambetov, Konstantin Dzhugan, Kurmantai Isenov, Vitaly Shushpannikov, Shamil Bayazitov.
The company has an average risk rating for tax obligations. For 2023, the LLP paid 792.3 million tenge in taxes (in 2022 – 612.6 million tenge, in 2021 – 409.5 million tenge, in 2020 – 332 million tenge).
Despite the fact that Altinsarino LLP occupies such an impressive territory and is the largest land user in the region, no other information could be found about the company itself or its owners, which is surprising. However, among the people, 'Knyazev' has already become a byword: this is how grain oligarchs in the region are referred to.
NUR-ZHAILAU NS LLP
Nur-zhailau NS LLP (growing cereals and leguminous crops, including seed production), occupying 117,600 hectares of agricultural land, was registered in 2008. The first head is Isenzhol Kasenov, the founders are: Yesenbol Kasenov, Mukhtar Kusainov.
Isenzhol Kasenov also appears in companies such as Yryzdyk-K LLP and Adilbek LLP. Yesenbol Kasenov also owns Nur-Kas L.T.D. LLP and the Alumni Club of the S. Seifullin KazATU Public Association. Mukhtar Kusainov is a founder of companies such as Nur-Kas L.T.D. LLP, Stan Construction LLP, Stan Energy LLP and Kafa - Kaz Bio Food LLP.
Nur-zhailau NS LLP has an average risk rating for tax obligations. For 2023 the company paid 38.1 million tenge in taxes (in 2022 – 28.4 million tenge, in 2021 – 35.3 million tenge, in 2020 – 13.2 million tenge).
In 2017, a case concerning the internal policies of Nur-zhailau NS LLP reached court. According to court documents, until 2013 the founders of the LLP were Mukhtar Kusainov, Yesenbol Kasenov, Karaja Evren and Korkmaz Reshat (each owning a 25% share of the company).
The foundation agreement was concluded in 2011. In 2012, an addendum was concluded to this agreement, according to which the authorised capital of Nur-zhailau NS LLP was increased and the additional contribution from participants Evren and Reshat amounted to 148 million tenge. In 2013, Kusainov and Kasenov decided to buy out the shares from Evren and Reshat with the aim of reducing the company's authorised capital.
At the time of concluding the purchase and sale agreement, Nur-zhailau NS LLP had a loan of 30 million tenge received from Arqalyk Credit Partnership LLP and a credit of 1.5 billion tenge for financing an investment project from KazAgroFinance JSC. The creditors did not give their consent to the conclusion of the share purchase and sale agreements, despite the fact that this requirement was stipulated in the agreement itself.
Furthermore, as was later discovered, Kusainov and Kasenov did not make payment to Evren and Reshat for the purchased shares. As a result, these transactions had a number of violations of both current legislation and the company's charter. Moreover, the company's charter itself also did not comply with the requirements of the law.
Only 4 years after the transaction, Nur-Zhailau NS LLP filed a lawsuit against Mukhtar Kusainov, Yesenbol Kasenov, Karaja Evren and Korkmaz Reshat seeking to invalidate the share purchase and sale agreements and the state registration of the charter of Nur-Zhailau NS LLP. It is not known who exactly initiated this court case on behalf of the LLP, however, the court granted the claims.
EVRAZIYA-INVEST LLP
Another large land user in Kostanay Region - Evraziya-Invest LLP (raising other cattle and buffaloes) was registered in 2004. The head of the company is Zhanibek Kenzhebaev, the founders are: Laura Zhangirbayeva, Chingiz Aueshov.
Kenzhebaev also appears in Bereke Agro Invest LLP, owned by Zhangirbayeva. Aueshov is listed as Commercial Director of Kostanay Minerals JSC.
Evraziya-Invest LLP has an average risk rating for tax obligations. For 2023 the agricultural firm paid 15 million tenge in taxes (in 2022 – 15.7 million tenge, in 2021 – 13.7 million tenge, in 2020 – 13.2 million tenge).
DIEVSKAYA AGROFIRM LLP
Dievskaya Agrofirm LLP (growing cereals and leguminous crops, including seed production), having 115,300 hectares of agricultural land in Kostanay Region, has been registered since 2000. The first head and founder of the company is Oleg Danilenko.
Former deputy of the Kostanay Regional Maslikhat, ex-chairman of the commission for the development of the agro-industrial complex Oleg Danilenko also owns the consumer cooperative 'Dievka Agropolyus Mutual Insurance Society'. Before heading Dievskaya Agrofirm LLP, Danilenko worked as a livestock specialist for over 10 years in what was then called the Semiozerny District of Kostanay Region.
Dievskaya Agrofirm LLP has a low risk rating for tax obligations. For 2023 the agricultural firm paid 90.7 million tenge in taxes (in 2022 – 166.9 million tenge, in 2021 – 103 million tenge, in 2020 – 65.8 million tenge).
OLZHA BELYAEVKA LLP
One of the largest land users in Kostanay Region is also a subsidiary of Olzha Agro LLP - Olzha Belyaevka LLP (growing cereals and leguminous crops, including seed production), registered in 2018. The first head of the company is Dmitry Fitsner.
Olzha Belyaevka LLP has an average risk rating for tax obligations. For 2023 the company paid 193.3 million tenge in taxes (in 2022 – 248.7 million tenge, in 2021 – 219.2 million tenge, in 2020 – 168.5 million tenge).
In January 2022, Olzha Belyaevka LLP was brought to administrative responsibility in the form of an administrative fine of 1.5 million tenge for non-compliance with the requirements of sanitary and epidemiological control.
Regarding the activities of the founding company, in 2020 it became known that in the village of Shokai, Altynsarinsky District, Kostanay Region, the Karagaily linear elevator was closed, previously owned by an organisation affiliated with the 'Ivolga' group of companies.
In 2019, the owner company was included among insolvent and unviable enterprises, and the elevator itself became unprofitable. Local residents lost their jobs and complained about the lack of compensation.
Subsequently, the owner of the Karagaily elevator became the company Olzha Agro LLP. It was reported that the new owner reduced the sown area from 30,000 to 12,000 hectares, which significantly reduced the number of jobs and vacancies, as a result of which many employees were forced to seek work outside the locality.
At the time, the media reported that the issue of transferring the elevator to a third party for bankruptcy management was under consideration. Representatives of Olzha Agro LLP, for their part, informed the FBRK editorial team that, despite its unprofitability, the Karagaily elevator was launched and operational in the summer of the current year.
To be continued …