Food Corporation Assesses Crop Conditions at Farms Receiving Forward Financing

Agricultural enterprises participating in the Food Corporation’s forward financing program have begun harvesting. Since mid-July, company specialists have been conducting on-site monitoring of program participants, assessing crop conditions, the targeted use of allocated funds and potential risks.

As part of this year’s monitoring, specialists inspected fields at 54 farms in the North Kazakhstan Region, 73 farms in the Kostanay Region, 44 in the Akmola Region, six in the Pavlodar Region and three agricultural enterprises in the East Kazakhstan Region.

The inspections indicate that crops in the surveyed areas are in good condition. At the same time, conditions vary from region to region depending on weather, moisture availability and nutrient supply. Harvesting has already begun at most farms in the country’s grain-producing belt.

In the Kostanay Region, as of August 17, the highest grain and pulse yield was recorded in the Fedorovsky district at 28 centners per hectare. The figure reached 22.8 centners per hectare in the Karabalyksky district and 18.6 centners per hectare in the Denisovsky district.

In the Akmola Region, some of the highest yields at the initial stage of the harvesting campaign were recorded in the Burabay and Bulandy districts. Yields there stand at 20.1 and 20 centners per hectare, respectively. Farms in the Zerendinsky district are harvesting an average of 15.7 centners per hectare.

In the North Kazakhstan Region, grain and pulse yields reach 16.5 centners per hectare in the Aiyrtau and Esil districts. The figure stands at 15 centners per hectare in the Magzhan Zhumabayev district and 14.9 centners per hectare in the Kyzylzhar district.

Forward financing has become one of the tools used to prepare farms for the spring sowing campaign. Farmers used the funds received to purchase seeds, mineral fertilizers, crop protection products and fuel and lubricants, as well as to carry out fieldwork.

Omurserik Akishev, director of Imran Agro LLP, noted that financial support is particularly important at the beginning of the agricultural season, when farms are already incurring their main expenses but have not yet received revenue from the sale of the future harvest. According to him, the allocated funds made it possible to purchase fuel, lubricants and fertilizers on time and carry out the necessary work within optimal timeframes.

At the same time, farmers continue to change the structure of their planted areas as part of crop production diversification. During meetings with agricultural producers, the Head of State has repeatedly emphasized the need to reduce dependence on wheat and increase the production of highly profitable crops.

In 2026, the area planted with oilseeds in Kazakhstan reached a record 5.1 million hectares. Of this total, 2.2 million hectares are planted with sunflower.

Sattar Smatayev, head of the Smatayev farm in the North Kazakhstan Region, said that the farm is gradually increasing the area planted with oilseeds. According to him, demand for these products makes it possible to diversify production and distribute risks among different crops rather than relying exclusively on wheat. Support from the state and the Food Corporation also provides more opportunities for such planning.

Program participants note that, along with access to financing, the possibility of guaranteed sales of part of the agricultural products after harvesting remains an important factor.

The head of the Agro Egin farm in the Kostanay Region emphasized that it is important for producers not only to obtain financing and carry out the sowing campaign on time, but also to understand in advance the opportunities for selling their future harvest. In his assessment, the forward purchasing mechanism helps address this issue.

The Food Corporation continues to monitor the progress of the harvesting campaign at farms participating in the program and maintain cooperation with agricultural producers.