🐄 Farmers May Lose Income: How the New Milk Technical Regulation Will Affect the Rural Economy

 

🔹 The introduction of the new regulation may reduce the purchase of local milk by up to 90%, impacting small farms and rural communities.

🔹 Around 70% of rural residents risk losing their main source of income, while the share of imported dairy products could rise to 80%.

🔹 Government support measures are needed: increasing assistance to farmers and introducing protective measures against subsidized imports.

 

According to information presented by Majilis deputy Ayan Zeynullin, the introduction of the technical regulation, which was originally scheduled to come into effect in 2020, has been delayed by five years at Kazakhstan's request.

 

Experts warn that the implementation of this regulation could seriously affect the local dairy industry. It is expected that processing plants will be forced to reduce their purchases of local raw milk by up to 90%, which would deal a blow to small farms and rural residents who supply the raw materials.

 

As the deputy noted, as a result of these changes, about 70% of rural residents could lose their main source of income. Furthermore, some dairy factories may face closure, and the share of imported dairy products could rise from the current 30-40% to 60-80%.

 

In response, the deputy stressed the need for active government intervention. He proposed increasing state support for the dairy sector, encouraging the development of specialized dairy farms, and considering protective measures against the import of subsidized dairy products to protect local producers.

 

This issue raises serious concerns, as its resolution will not only determine the future of Kazakhstan's dairy industry but also the livelihoods of rural residents who largely depend on dairy production income.