Kazakhstan Launches 202 Agro-Projects to Reduce Prices and Strengthen Food Security

The Government of Kazakhstan has unveiled an ambitious three-year program titled “Order for Investment”, aimed at drastically reducing the country’s dependence on imported food. At a special meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin, officials announced a strategy designed not only to curb inflation but also to transform Kazakhstan from a food importer into an exporter of key agricultural and industrial products.

New Investment Strategy
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Yermek Kenzhekhanuly presented the concept of “Order for Investment”. It consists of 202 carefully selected projects to be implemented in the agro-industrial sector from 2025 to 2027. The main objective is to supply the domestic market with products most dependent on foreign imports. According to the deputy minister, the program will first address import substitution and then move towards developing export potential.

Priority directions include:
• Poultry meat (current self-sufficiency: 79%)
• Cheese and cottage cheese (52%)
• Sausage products (60%)
• Fish products (67%)
• Sugar (only 33%)

Additional investments will support deep processing of grain, potatoes, and vegetables, as well as the construction of modern dairy farms, greenhouses, and vegetable storage facilities.

First Results and Concrete Steps
Progress has already been made in several areas. Kazakhstan expects to achieve full self-sufficiency in poultry meat by the end of this year, with export growth to follow. In the dairy sector, a preferential loan program at 2.5% per annum is helping finance new farms. As a result, 49 new or modernized dairy farms have been launched, with another 20 to open by year’s end and 17 more next year. This will allow the country to fully cover domestic demand for raw milk within 2–3 years.
To ensure fresh vegetables year-round, major greenhouse projects are being developed in Shymkent, as well as in Turkistan, West Kazakhstan, and Almaty regions. Processing initiatives are also advancing in cooperation with global giants like Pepsico and Iran’s Solico, along with 27 other projects focused on potato and fruit-and-vegetable processing.

Imports as an Inflation Driver
The Ministry of Trade and Integration has analyzed the link between imports and price growth. In the first half of 2025, imports accounted for 32% of inflation in socially significant goods. On average, imports make up 16.5% of this category, but in border regions the share can reach 50%. Most imports (97%) come from EAEU countries, mainly Russia.
To address this dependency, a pilot project on trade flow digitalization has been launched. It will allow local authorities to track in real time which imported brands are popular among consumers and to selectively stimulate domestic production of similar goods.
Summing up the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin emphasized that achieving self-sufficiency is the direct path to strengthening food security and stabilizing prices. At the same time, he highlighted the importance of a balanced approach: all new projects must rely on proven technologies and accurate calculations of raw material supply, especially for water-intensive crops.
The successful implementation of this plan over the next three years is expected to become a key factor in Kazakhstan’s economic stability.