(10 February 2026 | Source: Akorda press service)
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has issued a strong criticism of the current model of support for the agro-industrial complex, pointing to dependence on food imports and the ineffectiveness of administrative measures. According to him, the lack of a systematic approach is hindering the development of processing and livestock farming, despite the industry's existing potential.
WHY THE AGRICULTURAL SUPPORT MODEL IS NOT SOLVING THE PROBLEMS
The Head of State noted that the current policy is focused on gross output growth, rather than eliminating accumulated imbalances. As a result, dependence on food imports persists, which, according to the President, leads to rising prices.
In response, the executive branch resorts to administrative regulation. Despite a previously announced abandonment of direct price controls, the list of socially significant products has been expanded from 19 to 31 items. The government explains these measures as temporary in nature, however the President pointed out that in practice such decisions often become permanent.
EXPORT RESTRICTIONS WITHOUT ASSESSING CONSEQUENCES
Separately, Tokayev criticised non-market restrictions on agricultural exports. According to him, such measures are introduced without a full assessment of their consequences and reflect a simplistic approach to managing the sector.
The President emphasised that the logic of restrictions is understandable—it is easier to regulate than to develop the market. However, he called such an approach unacceptable and stated the need for systemic solutions in dialogue with businesses to develop the food industry.
LIVESTOCK FARMING WITHOUT A STRATEGY OR UNIFIED SYSTEM
According to the Head of State, Kazakhstan possesses significant potential in livestock farming, but is not fully utilising it. The sector, as the President noted, suffers from a lack of strategy, low dynamism, and unsystematic work.
A significant portion of production comes from personal subsidiary plots and peasant farms: 60% of meat and 80% of milk. Such a distribution, in the President's assessment, does not contribute to productivity growth.
Furthermore, the country lacks a unified chain—from feed base to processing, logistics, and sales. Tokayev stressed that the presence of such problems in 2026 remains unacceptable.
COOPERATION AS A KEY MECHANISM
The President recalled that earlier in his Address and an interview with the Turkistan newspaper, he set the task of actively using the mechanisms of cooperation for small farms. As an example, he cited foreign experience, noting that the Netherlands exports agricultural products worth $130 billion thanks to a developed cooperation system.
In this regard, the Government has been tasked with taking decisive measures to stimulate the unification of farmers into cooperatives of a new format and by 1 September 2026 to develop a new Law on Cooperation in Agriculture.