BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 18
Trend:
Kazakhstan is implementing consecutive agro-industrial policy based on Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Trend reports referring to the Central Communications Service under the country’s president.
According to the service, the policy is aimed to ensure fair competition between the subjects of the member states, effective implementation of resource potential, and creating equal conditions for access the common agricultural market.
“There are 7 priority areas in total, for each of which there are certain developments. For example, an integrated forecasting system in the agro-industrial complex for the medium term has been formed, two sectoral agreements have been adopted aimed at unifying the requirements for the production and circulation of seeds and pedigree products,” the service said. “Work is underway to form coordinated actions in the field of export development, 6 technical regulations have been adopted, at the stage of elaboration 2 technical regulations.”
“The above steps are already yielding positive results,” Ruslan Manatayev, Vice Minister of Agriculture, said during a briefing at the Central Communications Service.
"Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the slowdown in economic growth, last year the volume of agricultural production in Kazakhstan grew by 5.6 percent, while in the EAEU countries, this figure on average made up only 2.3 percent,” Manatayev emphasized. “Export of agricultural products rose by over 1.5 times in 2020 compared to 2016, and amounted to $2.7 billion. The volume of supplies to the member states of the Union has grown by 26 percent over 5 years.”
For 5 years, Kazakhstan to the market of the EAEU member states has increased the volume of exports of vegetables 4 times, fruits 2 times, dairy products almost 2.9 times, and that's not all the potential, he added.
"Currently, there are several obstacles that negatively affect the development of the agricultural sector. Most of these obstacles fall on the spheres of phytosanitary and veterinary-sanitary control, as well as technical regulation. Within the upcoming work, we plan to intensify work to eliminate them, and to realize the export potential of Kazakhstan,” the representative of the Agriculture Ministry further said.
“This potential is expected to be realized by negotiating and signing long-term contracts with major trading companies of the EAEU member states and developing a system of wholesale distribution centers, as well as enhancing cooperation in the field of scientific and innovative activities," concluded Manatayev.
