BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 28
By Nargiz Sadikhova – Trend:
Kazakhstan’s Agricultural Ministry has proposed to rely on the principles and approaches of sustainable food production and agriculture, envisaged by the UN Sustainable Development Goals when developing a new national project for the development of the agro-industrial complex until 2026, a source in the ministry told Trend on Jan.28.
According to the source, the proposed principles will ensure expanded reproduction in the agricultural sector based on the development of national competitive advantages, preserving the environmental sustainability of natural resources in the face of global climate change, and creating conditions for the development of the human potential of rural residents.
The ministry, together with the Liaison and Partnership Bureau of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Kazakhstan, is working on the development of a Concept for a new State Program, which will form the basis of a new Program document for the development of the agricultural sector, said a representative of the ministry.
Within the framework of the concept, issues of affordable financing, land relations, development of agro-science, digitalization of the industry, veterinary and phytosanitary safety, as well as issues of developing the export potential of not only raw materials but also its processing will be prepared.
"The priority will be the formation of ecosystems around large investment projects. This will allow local producers of goods and services to participate in creating the value of the final export product throughout the entire production," the representative said. “For this, according to, a set of measures will be implemented to introduce new technologies, attract strategic investors, and improve the qualifications of Kazakh specialists.”
"The focus will be also made on the development of agricultural processing, which will allow implementing measures for import substitution, raise the processing limits of raw materials and profitability not only for food processing factories but also for ordinary farmers and agricultural enterprises, employment of the local villagers," the source said. “The issues of security of processing enterprises will be resolved through the simultaneous development of anchor (vertical) and horizontal cooperation.”
"For example, raw materials can be delivered to processing enterprises both through service-procurement centers and through individual suppliers," concluded the source.