'We must eliminate dependence on imports of socially significant food products' – Kazakh PM

AKIPRESS.COM - The government of Kazakhstan today considered the new approaches to state support for the agricultural sector, the press service of the Prime Minister said.
Reports were made by Minister of Agriculture Saparkhan Omarov, representatives of agribusiness I. Sauer, A. Rafalsky and A. Khodzhanazarov, akims of the Kostanay region Archimed Mukhambetov and Almaty region Amandyk Batalov.
To date, the state has supported the agricultural sector through 47 types of subsidies totaling 292 billion tenge, which were mainly aimed at maintaining the profitability of agricultural production.
Innovations correspond to the previously adopted State Program for the Development of the Agro-Industrial Complex for 2017-2021. Basic subsidies will be allocated to seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. At the same time, subsidies are being introduced for research and development in the agricultural sector. Changes will also affect commodity-specific and investment subsidy groups.
Prime Minister Askar Mamin emphasized that one of the priorities for the development of agriculture was to increase domestic production in order to reduce dependence on imports.
"Thanks to the planned measures, within 3-5 years we must fully provide the country with all socially significant goods, eliminating dependence on imports," Mamin said.
The PM ordered to take measures to eliminate the debt on subsidizing the agricultural sector.