Financing of feed production should be a priority — Alikhan Smailov

The issue of livestock development was considered at the government session chaired by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov.

Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Karashukeyev, akims of Pavlodar, North-Kazakhstan and Kostanay regions presented their reports.

According to the head of the Ministry of Agriculture, livestock accounts for about 42.1% of the republic's gross agricultural output. In exports, the share of livestock products is 4%.

Over the past year, 53 investment projects worth about 70 billion tenge were implemented in the livestock sector. So, in dairy farming, in accordance with the task of import substitution in 2021, 35 dairy farms with a capacity of 57 thousand tons of products were put into operation.

As Alikhan Smailov noted, the state provides targeted support to the agricultural sector to increase the number of livestock and livestock production. Farmers are reimbursed for the costs of implementing investment projects, purchasing machinery and equipment.

According to the Head of Government, animal husbandry is the most important element of food security. Of the 19 socially significant products, four are dependent on imports — these are poultry meat, sausages, milk and dairy products.

“We are faced with the most important task — to increase the share of domestic production of these types of products to 100%. It is necessary to place more emphasis on the implementation of projects for the deep processing of raw materials, taking into account access to foreign markets,” Smailov emphasized.

Summing up the results of the discussion, the Prime Minister gave a number of relevant instructions.

He noted that an appropriate fodder base is required for the effective development of the livestock sector. However, annually the country produces feed almost 2 times less than the zootechnical norm. Lack of feed leads to their rise in price.

In this regard, the Ministry of Agriculture and regional akimats need to increase the area under fodder crops and modernize the infrastructure of remote pastures. This direction should be provided with funding as a matter of priority.

Also in the country there is an underload of enterprises for the processing of livestock products. In this regard, agricultural producers should be encouraged to create a network of procurement organizations linking small producers with processing enterprises.

“The task of the ministries of agriculture, trade and local executive bodies is to create conditions for the integration of all market participants, from producers to processors,” the head of government noted.

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture was instructed to work out measures to support the development of selection and breeding work as part of the improvement of the subsidy system.

Also, an important condition for increasing efficiency in the field of animal husbandry is the introduction of scientific approaches. In this regard, the ministries of agriculture, education and NCE Atameken were instructed to prepare a Roadmap for the introduction of innovations in the industry.

“Farmers and investors should be interested in investing in the introduction of modern technologies and scientific developments. In general, the solution of livestock development issues can be effective only with a consolidated position and joint efforts of government agencies, farmers, business, science and veterinary medicine,” Alikhan Smailov summed up.

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