Vice-Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Tasszhurekov met with farmers from the Zhetysu region and released data on state support measures ahead of the sowing campaign. According to him, concessional loans at 5% totalling 8.2 billion tenge have already been issued in the region.
WHAT WAS SAID AT THE MEETING
According to the press service of the Ministry of Agriculture, the practice of early financing for farmers has been ongoing since 1 October 2025. It is intended to prepare for spring field work.
In 2026, 750 billion tenge has been allocated for these purposes. As the department clarified, more than 4,500 agricultural producers have already been financed to the tune of 612 billion tenge.
In the Zhetysu region, a loan guarantee mechanism also operates through JSC "Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund", which covers up to 85% of the loan amount. According to the ministry, 64 farms have used this service, totalling 2.3 billion tenge.
WHICH AREAS HAVE BEEN INCREASED IN ZHETYSU
As reported at the meeting, the sown area in the Zhetysu region in 2026 has been increased to 512,000 hectares, which is 12,000 hectares more than last year's level. The crop structure is as follows:
- maize — 47,600 hectares;
- fodder crops — 91,500 hectares;
- oilseed crops — 105,400 hectares;
- wheat — 87,600 hectares.
According to the ministry, the total sown area across the country will increase by 180,000 hectares and will amount to approximately 23.8 million hectares.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT GRAIN EXPORTS
According to Yerbol Tasszhurekov, in the 2024–2025 marketing year, Kazakhstan exported 15.3 million tonnes of grain. This is almost 60% more than the previous year (9.6 million tonnes).
The Vice-Minister linked the growth to state support measures, concessional financing for spring field and harvesting work, as well as the introduction of modern agricultural technologies. An independent assessment of the impact of these factors is not provided in the materials.
CONTEXT: DISCREPANCIES IN HARVEST ESTIMATES
Earlier, the editorial board of FBRK drew attention to discrepancies between official statistics and independent estimates of the grain harvest. In particular, according to data from foreign analytical services and industry associations, the difference for wheat in 2024 could have reached several million tonnes.
The article also noted that some grain flows, according to estimates from industry sources, may be linked to imports and subsequent re-exports. At the same time, the ministry's materials do not address the issue of discrepancies in harvest estimates.
WHAT PROGRAMMES ARE AVAILABLE TO FARMERS
Under the concessional leasing programme in 2026, farmers in the Zhetysu region submitted 99 applications worth 3.9 billion tenge.
Also, as reported by the ministry, in 2025 processing enterprises were allocated short-term loans at 5% per annum to replenish working capital totalling 44.3 billion tenge. In Zhetysu, 8 projects were financed worth 4 billion tenge.