ASTANA, Kazakhstan, July 26. Kazakhstan's Turkestan region, with 156 entrepreneurial entities engaging in commercial fish farming, leads the country in fish breeding in artificial lakes, Trend reports.
According to the region's akimat (administration), Turkestan boasts 104 locally significant water bodies, with 84 under the stewardship of natural resource users.
One of the notable contributors is the agricultural enterprise "Alina", located in Ordabasy district. It was established in 2019, where around 200 tons of African catfish are cultivated annually, along with carp and grass carp. The total annual fish production from this farm amounts to 500 tons. The fish products are promptly delivered to restaurants and fish markets in the city, with demand witnessing a substantial increase over the past two years.
Furthermore, it was noted that the regional development program for fish farming has been approved in Turkestan Region, aiming to cultivate 6,640 tons of fish annually. According to Deputy Head of the Aral-Syrdarya Interregional Basin Fisheries Inspection, Meirzhan Umraliev, the region also plans to increase commercial fish farming to 20,000 tons by 2030.
This year, the local budget has allocated 500 million Kazakh tenge ($1.1 million) for the development of aquaculture, with 30 farms having already fully utilized the subsidies. Moreover, 226 million Kazakh tenge ($507,547) from the national budget has been earmarked for subsidizing investment inflows. As per the plan, 30 new pond fish farms have been opened. Further intensive efforts are expected to ensure full consumption of fish products in line with regional standards and to boost fish product exports.
