Nazarbayev urges to focus on livestock industry development in North Kazakhstan

Photo © Turar Kazangapov

President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev visited northern Kazakhstan. He checked on the state of grain crops at Kutuzovka-Alibi fields and the goods produced by local farmers, Tengrinews reports.

The President called the region step up the development of livestock industry. “It is easier to sow and harvest, but we have to remind ourselves that producing a ton of meat is five times more effective than producing a ton of grain. It affects the busyness and increase of income of the agricultural workers that are engaged in work both in summer and in winter,” Nazarbayev said.

This year the total area of crops reached 4.3 million hectares with the subsidies amounting to $93 million in North Kazakhstan Oblast.

The president emphased that despite his tight schedule, every year he found time to visit the agricultural regions of the country and keep track of all the changes in the industry.

He reminded that the state was providing a lot of support to the agricultural sector. “The agriculture development program till 2020 has been adopted. One of the key goals of the program is to increase labor productivity in agriculture. It is a very important and large scale work,” the president said.

Canada and Kazakhstan have a similar climate. But Canada yields around 20-25 centners per one hectare, while Kazakhstan has an average crops yield of 15 centners only. Nazarbayev called agricultural workers to adopt the newest technologies and methods of work to increase productivity.

The President also pointed to the importance of developing agricultural processing industry. “We process wheat into flour, but we have to move forwards and produce spaghetti and other food. We have to think about an added value of our products. Today in the wake of the Customs Union, Kazakhsani producers have great opportunities (…). In the nearest future our goods will have an access to the Persian Gulf through Iran (with the new rail link to Iran being completed). That is why we have to produce more export oriented goods,” the President said.

Nazarbayev also addressed the managers of agricultural companies urging them to ensure social status of the village workers to be on the same level as of the city dwellers. In turn, the Akim (Mayor) of the North Kazakhstan Oblast Yerik Sultanov reported on the development of the agricultural sector and the readiness to carry out the harvesting campaign.

By Gyuzel Kamalova

Wheat Food grain Kazakh Kazakhstan Nazarbayev news Nursultan Nazarbayev production village agriculture