East Kazakhstan calls for revising state support for livestock breeding and seed production

Farid Abitayev, chairman of the Regional Council of the East Kazakhstan Chamber of Entrepreneurs and head of the OKhMK farm, spoke in Ust-Kamenogorsk at an off-site meeting of the Committee on Economic Policy, Industry and Energy. In his view, it is now more important to make subsidies more effective and reduce import dependence than to increase their volume.

Over six generations of breeding work, OKhMK LLP has built a herd with milk yields of up to 12,000 liters per cow. This is the third-highest figure in Kazakhstan. However, selling the breeding stock is difficult because buyer farms lack affordable financial instruments. Abitayev proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture and development institutions revise the financing mechanisms.

The meeting heard that the Ministry of Agriculture has already reduced the subsidy share for foreign-produced seeds. According to Vice Minister Nazgul Khatepova, the ministry will assess the results and continue this work if demand for domestic seeds grows. Abitayev believes breeding science must be developed in parallel: "The main task is not to limit farmers' choice, but to make Kazakh products truly competitive."

He also proposed tightening checks on imported seeds and crop protection products, directing part of the funds from registration and testing of foreign products to domestic laboratory and testing infrastructure, and making wider use of satellite monitoring of farmland.