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At the Government session, Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov reported on preparations for the spring fieldwork campaign and presented the projected structure of sown areas for 2026,
primeminister.kz reports.
He emphasized that conducting the sowing campaign within optimal agrotechnical timeframes is key to ensuring a stable harvest and meeting the country’s domestic needs.
In this direction, the Ministry, together with regional administrations, is continuing efforts to diversify crop areas by reducing the share of wheat and expanding the cultivation of high-margin and highly profitable crops.
As part of implementing the instructions of the Head of State, we have revised diversification indicators. The total sown area this year will amount to approximately 23.8 million hectares, which is 180 thousand hectares more than last year. At the same time, wheat areas will be reduced by 125 thousand hectares, while oilseeds, fodder crops, and barley will demonstrate significant growth," Aidarbek Saparov noted.
Specifically, it is planned to expand areas under:
- Fodder crops - by 242 thousand hectares;
- Barley - by 94 thousand hectares;
- Oilseed crops - by 55 thousand hectares;
- Potatoes (in organized farms) - by 10.3 thousand hectares.
Special attention is being given to creating a raw material base for enterprises engaged in deep processing of agricultural products. This year, the area under corn is planned to reach 265 thousand hectares, which is 90 thousand hectares more than last year’s figure of 174.6 thousand hectares.
To successfully introduce this crop in northern regions, the Ministry has engaged the experience of leading foreign companies. In addition, a forward financing mechanism through the Food Contract Corporation is being developed to ensure guaranteed procurement of raw materials by investors.
In southern regions, optimization of water-intensive crops continues. The area under rice has been reduced by 20.2 thousand hectares. In cotton production, emphasis is placed on modern technologies: areas under drip irrigation will increase by 29.8 thousand hectares to reach 79.8 thousand hectares.
Unprecedented financial support measures have been предусмотрены for farmers this year. The total volume of preferential lending for spring fieldwork and harvesting has been increased to 700 billion tenge. Due to the early launch of application acceptance in October last year, approximately 1,900 agricultural producers have already been financed for a total of 200 billion tenge. This is 6% ahead of the financing pace during the same period last year.
Additionally, 300 billion tenge has been allocated for preferential machinery leasing and another 300 billion tenge for lending under guarantees from the Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund.
Technical equipment is the key to meeting agrotechnical deadlines. At the end of 2025, the renewal rate of machinery reached 6.5%; this year, we plan to increase it to 8%. To ensure timely fieldwork, farmers have been allocated 402 thousand tons of preferential diesel fuel, and the shipment schedule has already been approved," Aidarbek Saparov clarified.
Currently, machinery readiness stands at 80% and will be increased to 100% before the start of mass sowing. In total, farmers have at their disposal:
- 139 thousand tractors;
- 5.6 thousand high-performance seeding complexes;
- 70 thousand seeders;
- 141 thousand tillage implements.
The Minister stressed that at least 300 billion tenge has been allocated this year for preferential machinery leasing. Domestic production of agricultural machinery increased by 22% over the year, and in 2026 it is planned to produce 9.9 thousand units. More than 70 service centers across the country will support farmers’ operations.
To ensure the quality of planting material, 2.3 million tons of seeds have been prepared. Examination confirmed that 99% of the tested volume meets first- and second-class standards.
The Minister highlighted the role of domestic breeding: in 2026, 45 new high-yield Kazakhstani varieties are recommended for use - three times more than in 2021. To support science, it is proposed to introduce paid testing for foreign varieties while maintaining budget financing for domestic developments.
Significant progress has also been noted in chemicalization. The fertilizer application plan for 2026 amounts to 2.3 million tons.
This has been facilitated by an advance subsidy mechanism, which enabled domestic plants - KazAzot and Kazphosphate - to substantially increase production volumes.
Issues related to the spring campaign are under special control. All emerging problems will be promptly addressed at meetings of the Operational Headquarters with the involvement of all interested parties," the Minister added.
