Akhmetov mulls supporting local agricultural processing companies

Serik Akhmetov has called to support local agricultural processing companies, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Kazakhstan Prime-Minister as saying at the expanded meeting of Kazakhstan Agriculture Ministry. "Here (at the meeting) we have gathered almost everyone who is in charge of the processing sector. Let's provide unprecedented support measures to our processing companies. We have to give a shake to this sector and whatever cannot work amid the current conditions will flunk out. Let's support the most advanced and technological ones. Things will then start spinning by themselves," Serik Akhmetov said. The Prime-Minister gave an example of Azerbaijan market where almost everything is made of local materials. "Excellent equipment, unique production facilities, good logistics. It supplies almost all of its population with locally-processed goods," he said. According to him, processing of the main types of agricultural goods is poorly developed in Kazakhstan and the existing processing capacities are insufficiently loaded. Currently there are around 2,000 processing companies that employ around 55 thousand people and produce goods totally worth a little more than $5 billion. According to the Prime-Minister, this is a tiny part of the gross domestic product. By Shynar Ospanova