Aidarbek Saparov Demands Accurate Reporting on the Progress of the Harvest Campaign

A meeting chaired by Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov was held at Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture. Participants discussed the pace of the harvest campaign, the provision of necessary resources to agricultural producers, and preparations for the next agricultural season.

The meeting was attended by heads of the Ministry’s structural divisions, committee chairpersons, representatives of subordinate organizations and regional akimats.

Vice Minister of Agriculture Nazgul Khatepova reported on the current situation in the fields.

In 2026, the total area of agricultural crops to be harvested amounts to 24.2 million hectares, of which 15.6 million hectares are allocated to grain and leguminous crops. To date, farmers have harvested 5.4 million hectares of grain crops, representing 34.4% of the planned area. At the same point last year, 2.7 million hectares, or 16.7%, had been harvested.

Grain output has reached 7.5 million tonnes, compared with 3.7 million tonnes during the corresponding period last year. In addition to grain crops, agricultural producers have harvested 1.9 million tonnes of vegetables, 1.7 million tonnes of melons and gourds, and 783 thousand tonnes of potatoes.

More than 130 thousand tractors, 29 thousand grain harvesters, 17 thousand reapers, as well as 130 thousand units of other agricultural machinery are involved in the harvesting operations. A total of 401 thousand tonnes of diesel fuel has been allocated to the regions for the campaign.

During the meeting, Aidarbek Saparov drew attention to the accuracy of operational reporting. Monitoring revealed discrepancies between information provided by regional akimats and data from the territorial inspections of the State Inspection Committee in the Agro-Industrial Complex regarding the actual volume of work completed.

The Minister demanded that such cases be prevented and that the information provided accurately reflect the actual situation in the regions.

“Today, we are seeing a good pace of the harvest campaign. But the figures in the reports must be backed by real work in the fields. Overstatement of indicators or submission of unverified data must not be allowed. We need an objective picture for each region. Only on the basis of reliable information can correct and timely decisions be made. Managers must bear personal responsibility for the accuracy of every indicator,” Aidarbek Saparov said.

Another topic discussed at the meeting was financial support for the agricultural sector.

More than 5.7 thousand agricultural producers have received financing under concessional lending programs. The practice of early financing for the sowing campaign will continue as part of preparations for the 2027 season.

“On the instructions of the President, the state is consistently creating conditions for the timely financing of farmers. In turn, agricultural producers must responsibly fulfill their obligations. The presence of overdue debt should not restrict access to financing next year,” the Minister noted.

In this regard, regional akimats were instructed to strengthen oversight of agricultural producers’ fulfillment of their obligations to financial institutions and to prevent an increase in problematic debt.

As part of preparations for the 2027 agricultural season, participants also considered issues related to the formation of seed reserves and the provision of mineral fertilizers to farms.

Particular attention was paid to the readiness of grain elevators and storage facilities to receive the new harvest. Kazakhstan’s total grain storage capacity amounts to 30.7 million tonnes. Of this volume, 13.3 million tonnes is provided by licensed grain receiving enterprises, while another 17.4 million tonnes is held at agricultural producers’ storage facilities.

Available capacity in the main grain-producing regions is generally sufficient to accommodate the new harvest. At the same time, Aidarbek Saparov instructed regional akimats to organize the necessary logistics in advance and ensure the even distribution of grain flows, without postponing these issues until the start of the mass arrival of the harvest. If necessary, grain storage facilities should switch to round-the-clock operations.

“The harvest campaign is a responsibility not only for the current crop, but also for the sustainability of agricultural production next year. All issues must be addressed in advance, without allowing problems to accumulate or be postponed until autumn or spring. The result directly depends on the organization of the regions and the responsibility of each manager,” Aidarbek Saparov concluded.

The Ministry of Agriculture continues to monitor the progress of the harvest campaign, the provision of necessary resources to farmers, and the implementation of instructions issued to the regions.