BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 21. It is planned to provide greenhouse farms with subsidies for electricity and gas expenses during the offseason in Kazakhstan, Trend reports.
This decision is currently being considered by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture in line with proposals received from the business sector.
To ensure efficient allocation of budgetary funds and support only those greenhouses that adhere to all agricultural technologies, the mandatory requirement for receiving subsidies will be the possession of a certificate attesting to compliance with production technologies. The national standard was approved and came into effect on May 1, 2023.
Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture has developed the necessary amendments to the subsidy regulations, which provide for reimbursement of expenses per hectare based on subsidy rates approved by the regional authorities. Thus, not only industrial greenhouses but also farmer complexes that meet production standards will have the right to subsidies in this area.
The draft order is currently being reviewed, and its approval is expected in the near future.
In addition to the aforementioned support measures, Kazakh greenhouse farmers can also apply for subsidies for the purchase of fertilizers (excluding organic), pesticides, bioagents, and bio-preparations, as well as irrigation water, cucumber and tomato seeds.
Furthermore, reimbursement of 25 percent of the costs is provided for the construction and expansion of greenhouse complexes. Work is currently underway to increase the norm to 30 percent to accelerate results.
As of the end of 2022, the country had a total of 1,225 hectares of protected ground structures, including 219 hectares of industrial greenhouses and 1,006 hectares of farmer-owned greenhouses.