Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan has presented a draft resolution introducing changes to the rules for cultivating industrial hemp, including a relaxation of requirements for crop protection. It proposes abandoning mandatory continuous physical fencing of plantations and using technical means of control.
WHAT CHANGES ARE PROPOSED
The draft resolution provides for the introduction of alternative monitoring measures instead of fences:
- video surveillance systems;
- security alarms;
- GPS tracking;
- unmanned aerial vehicles.
As stated in the explanatory materials, such solutions should ensure the prevention of unauthorised access to crops without the installation of permanent barriers and make monitoring more flexible.
BASIS FOR DEVELOPMENT
The draft was developed on the instructions of the Presidential Administration and the Government. The initiative is aimed at optimising control processes for the cultivation of technical varieties of the plant not intended for the production of narcotic substances.
QUESTIONS REGARDING THE DISCUSSION PROCEDURE
The draft has been posted on the "Open NLA" portal. At the same time, in the comments on the document, users point out the absence of the full text of the draft and the accompanying materials necessary for public discussion.
The ministry explained that the change in the format of publication is related to technical updates to the portal aimed at optimising the discussion process.