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Evolution of Agricultural Policy in Kazakhstan

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Kazakhstan’s Developmental Journey

Abstract

Over the years since Kazakhstan declared its independence in 1991, the agricultural sector experienced a number of ups and downs as the political and economic situation within and outside the country was changing. After the transition period of the 1990s, characterised by the economic shocks, problematic land reform, and reduced public support, the agricultural sector started slowly recovering following the stabilisation of the country’s economy. Introduced policies were targeted at increasing domestic food production and decreasing the dependence on imports in order to position Kazakhstan as an important food producer and exporter. However, implemented reforms remain incomplete, as the legacy of the former collective system, as well as misallocation of available resources, continue to affect the sector. In recent years, the policy decisions were often orientated towards the increase of production subsidies and access to low-interest loans. The chapter charts the progression of Kazakhstan’s agricultural policies since 1991, examining the different stages of the sector’s development and providing an overview of policy instruments and their evolution. It also investigates recent developments and trends in the context of climate change mitigation, and the sector’s role in the nation’s efforts towards sustainability.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Usufruct—the right to personal use and possession, excluding, however, the right to sell, damage, or destroy the property (Skryabin 2011).

  2. 2.

    The Commonwealth of Independent States is an international organisation that includes some but not all republics of the Soviet Union. In the mid-1990s, the CIS included Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

  3. 3.

    Warehouse receipts are an innovative financial instrument that allows to minimise risks for farmers. A commodity (harvested crop yield, for instance) is being delivered by the farmer to the specialised warehouse against the receipt that can serve as collateral for a bank loan (Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan 2001a).

  4. 4.

    Reduced tillage is a practice of minimising soil disturbance and allowing crop residue or stubble to remain on the ground instead of being thrown away or incorporated into the soil. It reduces the amount of inputs, such as labour, energy, and water (due to preserving soil moisture), as well as helping to prevent soil erosion (OECD 2013).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Preparatory Studies, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

    Aziza Baubekova

  2. University of Yangon, Yangon, Myanmar

    Anastasia Tikhonova

  3. Central European University, Budapest, Hungary

    Anastasia Kvasha

Authors
  1. Aziza Baubekova
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  2. Anastasia Tikhonova
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  3. Anastasia Kvasha
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aziza Baubekova .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

    Anastasia Koulouri

  2. Abertay University, Dundee, UK

    Nikolai Mouraviev

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Baubekova, A., Tikhonova, A., Kvasha, A. (2021). Evolution of Agricultural Policy in Kazakhstan. In: Koulouri, A., Mouraviev, N. (eds) Kazakhstan’s Developmental Journey. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6899-2_3

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