In addition, to make the purchase and use of ground spraying equipment and UAVs affordable, agricultural producers and chemical treatment service providers are reimbursed 25% of the cost of the purchased equipment, El.kz cites primeminister.kz.
The Ministry of Agriculture's investment subsidy rules have already been amended for this purpose.
Information on preparations for the fight against locusts and the progress of preparations for spring field work was discussed in the Government under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin.
As Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ermek Kenzhekhanuly announced, if in 2024 247 units were used for chemical treatment of fields, in 2025 it is planned to be 2 times more, 443 units. These include 46 agrodrones, which the Ministry of Agriculture has purchased for regional subdivisions of State Unitary Enterprise "Phytosanitary. Plus 7 survey UAVs.
"Following the results of a successful pilot project in Turkestan region, where last spring spraying of fields from agrodrones and centralised procurement of services for procurement, transportation, storage of pesticides and treatments themselves were tested, the Ministry of Agriculture has already introduced procurement of a single service for phytosanitary measures in all regions on the principle of “One supplier - all works”. This allows to make it attractive for business to participate in the procurement of these services and increase responsibility for the results. In addition, we have created attractive conditions for farmers and providers of chemical treatment services in terms of reimbursement of 25% of the cost of agrodrones, ground fan and boom sprayers," Yermek Kenzhekhanuly said.
The meeting also considered the progress of preparation of regions for spring field work. Within the framework of early financing, which began on 29 November 2024, 70 billion tenge out of 100 billion tenge was allocated to 671 agricultural producers. Farmers in the grain-growing regions of Akmola (15.4bn tenge), Kostanay region (14.9bn tenge) and North Kazakhstan region (14.5bn tenge) were the most active in using this tool. But in the southern regions Turkestan, Zhambyl regions and Zhetisu, where spring sowing work starts earlier, the pool of applications is only 10 billion tenge.
According to preliminary information from the regions, the readiness of agricultural machinery for spring field work in the country today is about 56%. With the need for seeds for the harvest of 2.3 million tonnes, the backfill is 99%.
As a result of the meeting, Serik Zhumangarin instructed to revise the structure of sowing areas in terms of reducing the volume of wheat and increasing oilseeds and other high-margin crops. He also instructed to maximise the areas sown with elite seeds of Kazakhstani selection, which showed the best results in the 2024 harvest.
Next Wednesday Serik Zhumangarin plans to leave for one of the southern regions to familiarise himself with the preparations for spring field work and discuss the development of the real sector of the economy.
As previously reported, on 30 December 2024, Deputy Prime Minister visited Karaganda region, where he said that the work of the Ministry of National Economy will focus on work in the regions.