Despite a rich raw-material base and billions in capital injections into the agro-industrial sector, Kazakhstan continues to import finished food products. During an off-site meeting in Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), members of the Kurultai (national assembly) highlighted a paradox: while the country exports grain and meat, it utilizes only half of its own processing capacity. According to the news agency APK Novosti, the capacity utilization rate for flour-milling enterprises in the East Kazakhstan Region has fallen below 49%.
"We produce grain, oilseeds, meat, milk, vegetables, and other commodities. Every year, the state allocates significant financial resources toward the development of the agro-industrial complex. Yet, a fundamental question remains: why—given our own raw-material base, increased investment, and state support—does Kazakhstan continue to import such large volumes of finished food products?" asked Natalya Godunova, chair of the relevant committee, during the meeting.
To rectify this, she argued, a comprehensive approach to developing the food industry is required: expanding the processing of domestic raw materials, enhancing the competitiveness of finished goods, evaluating the effectiveness of state support measures, and creating the right conditions for the production of high value-added goods.
According to regional official Renat Kurmambayev, the volume of food production in the region reached approximately 260 billion tenge over the first three quarters of 2026, with the physical volume index hitting 107.9%. Growth was recorded in the production of vegetable oil (up 10.6%), butter (up 8.8%), cheese (up 8.4%), and dairy products (up 12.5%). Investments in food production during this period totaled 2.8 billion tenge—a 12% increase compared to the same period the previous year. In turn, Kurultai deputy Vadim Basin highlighted several key issues facing the region’s industrial sector, including the underutilization of production facilities. He recommended that the regional administration (akimat) develop measures to increase the capacity utilization of existing processing plants and support the production of domestic raw materials.
"Current production capacities are not being fully utilized. Capacity utilization stands at 88% for dairy enterprises, 77% for meat processors, approximately 65% for the oil and fat industry, and less than 49% for flour mills. This means that these enterprises have the potential to increase output but are unable to do so for various reasons. It is proposed that an analysis be conducted to identify the causes of this underutilization, and that measures be developed to ensure these enterprises have access to raw materials, financing, and markets for their products," noted Vadim Basin.
Meanwhile, the country already has state support measures in place, including subsidies for farmers who supply raw materials to processors, the expansion of financing mechanisms, improved access to credit, and the development of modern trade infrastructure, among others.
The heads of regional processing enterprises who attended the meeting outlined specific challenges and offered proposals to improve operating conditions within the sector.
The recommendations developed will be submitted to the Government.
Following the meeting, Natalya Godunova stated that key priorities will include: improving state support mechanisms, increasing access to the-subsidized financing, encouraging the processing of domestic raw materials, and expanding markets for finished products.