Kazakhstan increases crop areas and financing to strengthen national food security

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov reported to the government on preparations for the 2026 spring field campaign, noting that conducting sowing within optimal agrotechnical timeframes remains fundamental to ensuring stable yields and meeting the country’s internal demand. The total sown area is projected at 23.8 million hectares, exceeding last year’s level by 180,000 hectares. 

Planned increases in cultivated areas include:

• Fodder crops – by 242,000 hectares;

• Barley – by 94,000 hectares;

• Oilseed crops – by 55,000 hectares;

• Potatoes (in organised farms) – by 10,300 hectares.

In addition, corn acreage is expected to reach 265,000 hectares, up from 174,600 hectares last year, strengthening the raw material base for deep agricultural processing enterprises.

In southern regions, optimisation of water-intensive crops is continuing. Cotton production is being modernised through expanded drip irrigation, which will increase by 29,800 hectares to reach 79,800 hectares. 

State support for farmers has been significantly enhanced. Concessional lending for spring and harvesting operations has increased to US$1.4 billion, according to the Press Service of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

“Technical equipment is the key to meeting agrotechnical deadlines. At the end of 2025, the renewal rate of machinery reached 6.5 per cent; this year, we plan to increase it to 8 per cent. To ensure timely fieldwork, farmers have been allocated 402 thousand tonnes of preferential diesel fuel, and the shipment schedule has already been approved,” Aidarbek Saparov stated. 

Machinery readiness currently stands at 80 per cent and is expected to reach full capacity before the start of mass sowing. Farmers have access to 139,000 tractors, 5,600 high-performance seeding complexes, 70,000 seeders and 141,000 tillage implements. Seed reserves total 2.3 million tonnes, of which 99 per cent comply with first- and second-class standards, and 45 new high-yield domestic varieties have been recommended for use in 2026.