How Kazakhstan Plans to Eliminate the Pasture Shortage by 2026

Kazakhstan plans to completely eliminate the shortage of pastureland by the end of 2026. Currently, the deficit stands at 3.5 million hectares. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin during a meeting of the профиль commission, where he identified the issue as a key priority within the Comprehensive Livestock Development Plan.

The government’s focus is shifting from quantitative indicators to qualitative outcomes. Land returned to state ownership must not merely be recorded in reports but must be genuinely suitable for livestock grazing.

Key areas of work for 2026 include:

Land restoration: launching large-scale reseeding of degraded areas with perennial grasses.

Water supply development: bringing new pasture areas into use through the creation of watering infrastructure.

Targeted allocation: assigning pasture plots to specific settlements to meet the needs of local populations.

Thanks to measures implemented in 2025 — including clarification of livestock numbers, expansion of village boundaries, and seizure of unused land — the pasture shortage has been significantly reduced.

Land fund statistics as of early 2026:

2.1 million hectares have already been returned to state ownership due to identified violations or non-use.

1 million hectares are planned for seizure during the current year.

8.5 million hectares represent the total area of redistributed land, of which 2.8 million hectares have been transferred for public use by the population, and 5.7 million hectares have been allocated through tenders to agricultural producers.

Despite the presence of 198 districts nationwide, pasture management plans have been approved in only 157 of them. The absence of these documents in 41 districts hinders effective resource allocation at the local level. Regional administrations have been instructed to eliminate this gap in the coming months.

In the second half of 2025, the criteria for selecting land leaseholders were tightened. Land distribution now takes into account: 

1. The volume of investment commitments.
2. The availability of owned machinery and livestock.
3. The professional qualifications of employed specialists.

A system for assessing the integrity of land users has also been introduced. This has accelerated the work of commissions and strengthened the protection of efficient farmers against unfounded claims.

Pilot surveys conducted in three regions confirmed the critical condition of many pasture areas. As a result, regional plans to combat desertification, water erosion, and wind erosion have been approved in all 17 regions of the country. The state intends to prioritize funding for projects that include infrastructure development in remote pastures, which will help reduce pressure on pasturelands near settlements.