Farmers Propose Revising Several Agricultural Support Mechanisms in the Kostanay Region

The Association of Agricultural Producers of the Kostanay Region has raised a number of issues that require solutions for the further development of the region’s agro-industrial complex. The proposals were presented at an intersectoral council on agriculture and social issues under the regional Chamber of Entrepreneurs.

One of the main topics was the operation of grain elevators during the harvesting campaign. According to farmers, grain receiving enterprises apply different requirements to grain quality indicators, creating difficulties for agricultural producers when delivering their harvest.

Farmers also point to their dependence on the nearest elevators as an additional problem. Due to logistical constraints, farms are not always able to choose alternative grain receiving facilities and therefore have to use the services of nearby enterprises at higher rates.

As one possible solution, the Association of Agricultural Producers proposes restoring the grain inspection service. This issue had previously been raised with the relevant ministry.

Another topic was the provision of subsidized fuel and lubricants to farms. The Kostanay Region has been allocated 79,100 tonnes of diesel fuel at a price not exceeding 305 tenge per liter. Operators are currently delivering the August allocation, which amounts to 26,600 tonnes.

At the same time, the provision of subsidized winter diesel fuel remains an important issue for agricultural producers. It is needed for harvesting oilseed crops, which continues until late autumn.

Alexander Borodin, chairman of the Agricultural Council and the Association, proposed allocating farmers at least 30% of winter diesel fuel from the Pavlodar oil refinery in advance.

Agricultural producers also drew attention to the supply of mineral fertilizers and the timely receipt of government support. This issue is particularly relevant for farms that apply fertilizers to fallow fields.

When domestic plants are unable to supply the required volumes, farmers are forced to purchase imported fertilizers. At the same time, subsidies for imported fertilizers are provided at a lower rate, which increases the financial burden on farms.

To address this issue, agricultural producers propose that the regional agriculture department compile a register of the required volumes of mineral fertilizers before the start of the purchasing season and provide the relevant information to domestic manufacturing plants in advance. This mechanism is expected to help meet market demand and optimize farmers’ costs.

The meeting also separately considered the issue of attracting migrant workers. The quota for seasonal workers in the Kostanay Region was increased from 180 to 405 permits. However, representatives of the agricultural sector still have questions about the current mechanism for distributing these permits.

Agricultural producers propose introducing individually assigned quotas for agricultural enterprises that would be protected from redistribution. In addition, they suggest taking into account the seasonal nature of agricultural work from April through October when allocating permits.

All proposals submitted by the Association are currently under consideration by the regional agriculture department and the relevant ministries.