16.10.2025, 20:43
Shaming Statistics: Akim of North Kazakhstan Region Decries Meager Wages for Mechanizers
Record Harvests, Shameful Salaries: Why are North Kazakhstan's Farm Workers the Lowest Paid?
PETROPAVLOVSK, October 16. North Kazakhstan Region records record harvests and consistently leads in livestock, yet mechanizers and combine operators still earn salaries that are shameful even in official reports. With this sharp statement, regional governor Gauyes Nurmukhametov spoke at a meeting with Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov.
Against the backdrop of triumphant figures in grain yields and milk volumes, a worrying statistic emerges. The region is at the lowest rank in the country in terms of wage levels in the agricultural sector.
"This year, we have a decent harvest — truly good grain. This is the merit of our leadership, our mechanizers, and the workers of the farms," Nurmukhametov said.
According to him, despite challenging weather conditions, the region managed to maintain past standards and even surpass them in certain dimensions.
"Our farms operate steadily. Among organized farms, we occupy the first place in livestock numbers and second place in milk production. But despite all successes, we still face a problem — wages. We are last in the country in this indicator. That is unjust," the akim declared openly.
He added that mechanizers and combine operators — on whose shoulders the entire production process rests — receive disproportionately low pay. Their labor is not duly valued, despite real results.
"How can we be first in harvest and livestock, yet last in worker income? Farm leaders must raise wages by at least 15%, as the head of state ordered. The people who deliver these results must receive decent pay," demanded Nurmukhametov.
He instructed relevant ministries to immediately take control of the issue and report on the measures taken.