Agro-industrial complex development programme under discussion at Kazakh ministry

Kazakhstan, Astana, May 29 / Trend D. Mukhtarov /

A working meeting was held at the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture. Ministry representatives and deputies of the Kazakh Communist People's Party discussed the agro-industrial complex development programme for 2013-2020, the ministry said today.

The participants stressed that constant production growth in terms of new market relations was achieved in the agricultural sector during the period of Kazakhstan's independence. Output and labour productivity are increasing, main funds are renewed and the infrastructure is being restored.

However, despite the achieved results, further development of agricultural production requires a conceptually new approach to solve a number of main problems with agricultural development. The current programme for the agro-industrial complex development for 2010-2014 does not fully meet modern challenges.

"New trends were formed in the world economy and demographics," Kazakh Minister of Agriculture Asylzhan Mamytbekov said while opening the meeting.

"There are global climate changes. The integration processes in the region were really developed. Kazakhstan joined the Customs Union. It plans to join WTO. The population of nearby regions is increasing with an intense increase in food consumption. There is a need to develop a new industrial programme."

A new development programme of the Kazakh agro-industrial complex will focus on achieving the following indices: the development of pasture and the establishment of the export potential of meat to meet the needs of the domestic market, stabilising wheat production of 15-20 million tons per year due to the diversification of areas under oilseeds, cereals, fodder crops, the introduction of resource saving technologies (no till), ensuring transportation capacity (grain carriers, terminals) and storage capacity (elevators, storages).

Particular attention in the new industrial development programme will be paid to commercial fishery production to 50,000 tons by 2025 (previously about four tons).

Emphasis will be placed on the development of veterinary science, plant protection and food safety to achieve high standards of quality and safety of the products in the field of agriculture.

A significant increase in investment will be achieved by developing new and more effective mechanisms of subsidising plant growing.

The agro-industrial complex will be modernised on the basis of new technologies and increasing the efficiency of agricultural science.

Moreover, it is planned to increase the production of poultry, cattle and milk by restoring irrigated land to grow corn, soybeans. The production of phosphate and nitrogen fertilisers will be restored.

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