President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is on a working visit to Akmola Region, where he held a large-scale meeting with farmers of the region on issues concerning the harvest campaign. Farmers from Kostanay, Pavlodar and North Kazakhstan Regions also joined the discussion, which underscored the national character of the meeting.
The main topic was the current harvest, the successful completion of which directly affects the country's food security and the stability of the domestic market. According to the Head of State, Kazakhstan has the potential to significantly increase its export capacity provided the campaign is successfully completed.
In the Akmola Region, the area under cultivation increased this year by 300 thousand hectares and reached 5.5 million hectares. The forecast yield for grain crops will be over 7 million tonnes, and the gross harvest of oilseeds will be over 650 thousand tonnes. At the time of the visit, 3.6 million tonnes of grain had been harvested with an average yield of 15.4 centners per hectare.
The President noted that last year's results demonstrated the effectiveness of using modern agricultural technologies. Agriculture has become one of the sectors showing higher dynamics compared to many other sectors of the economy. Agricultural production in 2024 amounted to 8 trillion 250 billion tenge.
State support for farmers has reached an unprecedented level. This year, a record 1 trillion tenge was allocated for preferential lending to agriculture. The Head of State expressed gratitude to the farmers for their work, emphasising that each season tests their professionalism and patriotism.
Special attention was paid to the issue of grain storage. With the projected production volumes, existing capacities are already unable to cope with demand. In this regard, the President instructed the launch of a special programme of preferential financing for the modernisation of grain elevators.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasised the need to develop seed production and continue subsidising mineral fertilisers. These measures are aimed at increasing the self-sufficiency of the domestic market and reducing dependence on imports.
In the context of livestock development, the development of a special programme was announced, which will allow agricultural producers to receive long-term preferential loans. The President linked this direction with the digitalisation of the sector, stressing the importance of full transparency in all processes.
The Head of State reminded that in November, the second Agroforum will be held in Astana, where key issues of sector development and state support for the agro-industrial complex will be considered. He also announced plans to visit Kostanay Region, in particular Arkalyk, paying special attention to the Torgay Region.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the President stressed that every budget investment must bring a concrete result. Agriculture remains under his special control as a key economic sphere. The successful completion of the harvest campaign will be an indicator of Kazakhstan's readiness to strengthen its position as a modern agricultural power.