The Kazakh government has revised the maximum size of agricultural land that can be leased by a single farm or agricultural enterprise. However, the resolution raised questions among farmers in the Kostanay region, as previously identified issues remain unresolved. This issue was discussed at the sectoral council on agricultural issues of the Kostanay Region Chamber of Entrepreneurs.
As noted by the regional Chamber, farmers in the Akmola region expressed the need to increase agricultural land limits at the end of 2024 during Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov's working visit. At his direction, working groups were established in the regions, and recalculations have begun. The regional akimats conducted the calculations, taking into account the active rural population in the region, the natural and climatic zone, land quality characteristics, and the average land area in the districts.
"As a result of the calculations, the maximum land plot sizes for legal entities have increased compared to previous estimates for arable land, while those for pasture land have decreased significantly. However, these changes will only apply to new land users who decide to engage in agriculture. For private farms, the maximum agricultural land size, which includes arable land, pasture, and hayfields, is 7,470 hectares, but each district has its own gradation. For limited liability companies (LLCs), it is 88,242 hectares," said Yesemzhan Baimakanov, Deputy Head of the Kostanay Region Department of Agriculture and Land Relations.
According to him, the department submitted proposals for land plot limits for both limited liability companies (LLCs) and private farms, but the approved document was returned to the region unchanged for individuals. The largest maximum arable land size was in the Sarykolsky District: 41,242 hectares (previously 22,000), while the smallest was in the Dzhangeldinsky District: 4,027 hectares (previously 1,000 hectares). Today, there are 4,799 peasant farms and 678 limited liability companies (LLCs) in the region. The former have 4.8 million hectares in cultivation, while the latter have 6.2 million hectares.
The Chamber of Entrepreneurs noted that the established land limits sparked heated debate among farmers. Many were confused as to why such small limits were set for peasant farms in certain districts, given that there are robust farms capable of cultivating over 3,000 hectares, while the limit was set at 1,800 hectares. In some districts, the limits are also insufficient for limited liability companies (LLCs).
"If a farmer is firmly established, why can't they cultivate more? Costs are rising. And one serious crop failure can have a significant impact on a farm." "And this way, we can at least get some land for logging," farmers say.
According to Alexander Borodin, Chairman of the Kostanay Region Agricultural Producers Association, the region has not been allocated enough pasture and hayfield land.
"In recent years, there has been increasing talk about the need to develop livestock farming. We have districts where, according to new regulations, there are no pastures or hayfields, only arable land. But how can we develop livestock farming? Where can we grow feed and graze livestock? Other regions have all kinds of land. It's important to review the document," says Alexander Borodin.
Renat Davletpayev, Director of the Kostanay Region Chamber of Entrepreneurs, reported that, taking into account the opinions of agricultural businesses, proposals will be developed to increase the land available for farms, including hayfields and pastures for all businesses.