Agriculture of Kazakhstan is one of the most developed sectors of the state economy . In each of the individual regions, conditions favor the cultivation of certain crops. Particular attention is paid to animal husbandry.
Geography and climate
The territory of Kazakhstan is located simultaneously in Central Asia and in Eastern Europe, washed by the Caspian and Aral Seas. The continental climate causes cold, snowless winters and hot, dry summers.
About half of the country's territory is desert and semi-desert. In the western part are mountain ranges. As for water resources, there is a shortage of them due to geographical location. Sources of life-giving moisture are seven large river arteries, as well as 13 large reservoirs.
Speaking of vegetation, it should be noted that steppe plants such as feather grass, wormwood and drought resistant shrubs dominate. Green alpine meadows are found in highlands. As for forests, they occupy 5.4% of the territory and are concentrated mainly in the north and south of the country.
Perhaps the most important for agriculture are soils. A significant proportion falls on black soil, chestnut and brown soils. Serozems and brown soils are also present.
How the industry developed
It is advisable to consider the development of agriculture in Kazakhstan since the 50s. In view of the economic crisis, the Soviet authorities decided to expand the sown area. Then in Kazakhstan and several other republics virgin lands were actively developed. It is worth noting that it was necessary to develop those areas that were characterized by low moisture and a tendency to erosion.
It is worth noting that the development of virgin lands led to a record crop of grain. At the same time, the negative consequence was a sharp decrease in pasture land. To prevent a crisis in animal husbandry, specialized collective farms obliged to increase livestock numbers. The Soviet period of agricultural development was also marked by the reform of machine and tractor stations.
In the years 60-80, the most intensive development of agriculture was observed. Co-operative ownership was completely transformed into state ownership, which allowed to tighten control over cash flow. This led to the fact that many farmers chose to leave the village. The government decided to attract specialists from other republics, as well as the use of urgent military personnel.
At the moment, almost all agricultural land is in private hands. And, as in the late 70s, the problem of providing the population with meat and dairy products is quite acute, which indicates the need for reforms.
Industry characteristic
Agriculture of Kazakhstan is characterized by the following distinctive features:
- marked zoning (horizontal and vertical) of the soil cover is noted;
- more than half of all land suitable for cultivation is in the desert and semi-desert zones;
- 85% of agricultural land is allocated for pasture (this is about 189 million hectares);
- Kazakhstan is one of the ten largest exporters of wheat and flour;
- the largest share of crops grown in cereals, fruits, berries, oilseeds, as well as cotton;
- Kazakhstan has traditionally developed the livestock industry, as well as the production of leather and wool.
The place of agriculture in the economy of Kazakhstan
Agriculture of Kazakhstan is one of the fundamental sectors of the state economy. It is worth noting that each year it brings 38% of total national income. Moreover, about 16% of the state’s workforce is employed in this area. This is due to the high level of mechanization and automation. It is worth noting that there are more than 31,000 agricultural enterprises in the country, as well as about 32,000 peasant farms.
It is worth noting that Kazakhstan's agriculture is the second largest grain producer in the world with an indicator of 967 kilograms per capita (Canada holds the leading position, where this indicator is 1,168 kg). At the same time, it is the only post-Soviet republic to export bread. Nevertheless, the productivity and productivity of such an industry as animal husbandry in Kazakhstan is quite low (paradoxically). According to this indicator, the state takes 142 place in the world.
Agriculture sectors of Kazakhstan
The agricultural sector is the strongest mechanism that provides not only the internal resources of the state, but also its position in the foreign market. Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan is traditionally represented by two main sectors:
- Livestock - is developing in areas such as cattle (meat and dairy production), sheep, horses, camels, pigs and goats. A significant proportion falls on poultry farms. A separate, albeit insignificant niche is breeding and commercial fishing.
- Crop production is the basis of agriculture in Kazakhstan. The largest share is spring wheat, which is sold not only in the domestic, but also in the foreign market. It is also worth noting the prevalence of crops such as rice, buckwheat, barley, oats, millet and corn. Significant sown areas are reserved for sugar beets and oilseeds (sunflower, rape). Cotton and flax are grown for the textile industry. It is also worth noting such crops as potatoes, apples, melons and grapes.
Agriculture of South Kazakhstan
It is worth noting the variety of natural and climatic conditions in the republic. Thus, agriculture in southern Kazakhstan operates in conditions of high air temperature in the foothill zone. With a good organization of artificial irrigation, it is possible to achieve high indicators for the collection of cotton, rice, sugar beets and tobacco. It is also worth noting that this is the most favorable place for the development of gardening and viticulture.
Features of agriculture in the western part of Kazakhstan
Agriculture in Western Kazakhstan is represented mainly by livestock, which is due to the large areas of pastures and meadows. The largest share falls on sheep, horses and camels. If we talk about crops, then more than 70% of arable land is reserved for wheat. The remaining areas are occupied by barley, millet and rye.
Agriculture in the northern part of Kazakhstan
Agriculture in Northern Kazakhstan is rapidly developing under the influence of favorable climatic conditions. Here the most developed meat and dairy cattle breeding, as well as breeding birds. The main industry is sheep farming. Agricultural fields are occupied by cotton and grain crops. There are also very favorable conditions for growing vegetables, fruits and melons.
Features of agriculture of East Kazakhstan
Agriculture in East Kazakhstan is represented mainly by non-irrigated agriculture. The largest land areas are occupied by sunflower crops. In the river valleys there are significant fields of wheat, oats, peas, as well as vegetable crops. It is also worth noting the rapid development of meat and dairy farming. Irrigated viticulture is developed in some areas. Much attention is also paid to breeding pigs and horses. West Kazakhstan is characterized by developed beekeeping, fur trade and beekeeping.
State policy in the field of agriculture
The development of agriculture in Kazakhstan is supported by the authorities. State regulation and reform is aimed at implementing the following main ideas:
- increasing entrepreneurial activity in rural areas, as well as increasing their level of well-being;
- providing residents of agricultural regions with electricity, gas, drinking water and other vital resources;
- construction and overhaul of roads in rural areas;
- modernization of telecommunication systems;
- strengthening health care measures in rural areas (construction or major repairs of hospitals, involvement of relevant specialists);
- educational reform in schools and other educational institutions;
- providing residents of villages with access to cultural and sports programs;
- improving security in villages by increasing the number of police stations, as well as parts of the Ministry of Emergencies;
- ensuring environmental safety in rural areas;
- development of policy mechanisms in the field of internal migration in order to reduce the outflow of population from agricultural regions.
Industry Development Issues
The following main problems of agriculture in Kazakhstan can be distinguished:
- insufficient tax payments to the budget, which is associated with the difficulties of transition from the old state farm to modern farm;
- insufficient amount of financial investments in the industry;
- the deplorable state of the dairy industry (the most striking illustration of the problem is the forced purchase of products in neighboring Kyrgyzstan);
- the need to increase livestock to increase meat exports to neighboring countries;
- lack of storage space for crops (elevator areas should be expanded at least twice to ensure the preservation of the crop);
- population migration to cities due to insufficient development of villages and villages (the population who work in the agricultural sector, basically does not have the appropriate education and qualifications);
- growth in agricultural imports;
- outdated material and technical base;
- insufficient level of development of local science in the field of agriculture.
conclusions
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that there is some stagnation in such an industry as agriculture in Kazakhstan. Briefly, the situation can be described as irrational and incomplete use of natural and human resources, as well as insufficient financing of the agricultural sector. The climate and natural resources of Kazakhstan contribute to the development of livestock, as well as the cultivation of grain crops. Thanks to the virgin land development policy, which was carried out in the Soviet period, the presence of significant areas of arable land is noted, which provides Kazakhstan with a leading position in the world grain market.
It is worth noting the exceptional importance of agriculture for the economy of Kazakhstan. This industry accounts for almost 40% of the state’s national income. Given that less than 20% of the economically active population is employed in this sector, we can talk about a high level of production automation. Despite the existing problems with the yield indicator, the country managed to take second place in the world among grain exporters. This is the only post-Soviet republic that has the ability to sell bread abroad.
Despite the fact that agriculture plays a fundamental role in the economy of Kazakhstan, it has some problems. One of the main difficulties is the incomplete transition to a modern farm form, which makes it difficult to control the payment of taxes. Also worth noting is the lack of investment in the industry. The greatest stagnation is observed in the meat and dairy industry, which leads to the forced import of these products to meet consumer demand. Another key problem that needs to be addressed immediately is the lack of storage space for harvested crops.