11.09.2024, 17:38

🏦 The Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan will strengthen control over financing the agricultural sector  

🔹 In 2024, 580 billion tenge was allocated for spring fieldwork and harvesting, of which 100 billion tenge was directed to preferential leasing of agricultural machinery.

🔹 Significant funds remain unutilized in several regions, prompting the Ministry to instruct the activation of efforts to ensure access to loans for small and medium-sized businesses in the agricultural sector.

🔹 4.8 billion tenge in subsidies has been allocated to processing enterprises, which will allow the provision of preferential loans at a 5% annual interest rate.

 

At a recent meeting on the issue of preferential financing for agricultural producers, Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov emphasized the importance of speeding up efforts in accordance with the President's instructions. The focus was on revising the conditions for subsidizing interest rates, which will enable the involvement of second-tier banks in financing the agricultural sector.

 

In 2024, 580 billion tenge was allocated for spring field and harvesting work, of which 100 billion tenge was directed to preferential leasing of agricultural machinery. These funds covered 5 million hectares of cropland. Under the "Ken Dala-2" program, 47% of the allocated funds were utilized, and 89% of the credited entities were small and medium-sized agricultural producers.

 

Despite this, significant funds remain unutilized in regions such as Pavlodar, West Kazakhstan, and East Kazakhstan. The Ministry has instructed the intensification of work to ensure the availability of loans for small and medium-sized enterprises in the agricultural sector.

 

Special attention is given to financing processing enterprises. 4.8 billion tenge in subsidies has been allocated for this purpose, which will allow the provision of preferential loans totaling 31.8 billion tenge at an interest rate of no more than 5% per annum. The development of the preferential leasing program for agricultural machinery also continues, with 162.7 billion tenge allocated for these purposes in 2024, an increase of 24% compared to the previous year.

 

However, the utilization of funds for preferential leasing needs to accelerate: of the planned 100 billion tenge, 73.1 billion tenge has been utilized. Farmers' applications for the acquisition of agricultural machinery have exceeded 120 billion tenge, indicating high demand for preferential programs.

 

In addition, the government is working to provide farmers with the necessary insurance funds. In 2024, 5.9 billion tenge was allocated for crop and livestock insurance subsidies, which allowed payments of 6.6 billion tenge, most of which were for drought-related claims.

 

The Ministry stressed the need to continue information campaigns among farmers about the available support programs and simplify procedures for obtaining loans and leases, a crucial step towards modernizing the agricultural sector.

 

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