IV Republican fair “Karaotkel-2010” opens today in Astana to show achievements of the agro-industrial complex. It was preceded by an international forum “Kazmeat&Milk 2010 yesterday.

RK agriculture minister Ahylbek Kurishbayev named cattle breeding a priority direction in the agro-industrial complex and was hopeful the forum would impart an impetus to development of the branch and serve a venue for discussing and settling its problems.

According to the ministry’s executive secretary, Yevgeny Aman, Kazakhstan’s cattle breeding is not fully tapping its resources: only 43% of 180mn-ha natural pastures are used, whereas the livestock and poultry growth in the first six months of the current year is by 1.5 times on 2000. Funding to the sector was trebled to around 2.5bn tenge.

What hampers development of the branch is that 80% of cattle breeding in Kazakhstan is done by households, farmers are now bolstered to set up big farming partnerships through financial preferences. It is also stymied by seasonal production: agro-producers cannot fill the market regularly, which causes price fluctuations. According to the head of the agriculture ministry, as soon as first cattle-breeding farming partnerships are set up the problem will be settled.

Another no less important reason is scarce pedigree cattle – just 5.6% that is by almost ten times fewer than in the developed countries. It explains the branch’s low productivity. To sort out the problem 860 agro-formations are doing pedigree breeding. Around 13bn tenge is planned to spend on the purchase of pedigree cattle and poultry.

Thirty five up-to-date feeding grounds, 6 broiler plants, 30 dairy units, over 100 sheep farms will be commissioned by 2014. The present number of oblast veterinary laboratories (11) will be doubled.

A.Kurishbayev assured all the problems were under his incumbent ministry’s control. Subsequent to the forum memoranda and agreements on cooperation in cattle breeding were signed.

Zhiger Abenov