KazISS expert explains what the President's Address means for agriculture

Markhat Sharipov, representative of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) under the President in Akmola Region, commented on the agricultural part of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's Address. In his view, the sector needs to shift its focus from volumes to productivity, deep processing, technological independence and water saving. The Address cites 2025 results: growth of about 5.9%, agricultural output of 15 trillion tenge and concessional financing of 1.5 trillion tenge.

The expert noted that a significant share of concessional funds currently goes to day-to-day needs. Farmers, however, need long-term resources for machinery, grain elevators, storage facilities and processing. Speaking about domestic production of tractors and combines, he stressed that what matters to a farmer is the operating cost per hectare, availability of spare parts and service.

According to Sharipov, AI should be introduced step by step: first record-keeping and measurements, then pilot projects on specific fields, and only then scaling up.

The President said that irrigation near major water sources using modern technologies could potentially raise yields of traditional crops by 2–2.5 times, and called for rational water use and digital metering. "Water is becoming a strategic production resource on a par with land, machinery and capital," the expert said.