Deputy Minister of Agriculture Zhanibek Kerimaliev responded that the republic is able to fully provide itself with six out of nine socially significant goods, while for three items the level of self-sufficiency is only 50%.
The complete list of products for which the country is fully self-sufficient includes:
- potatoes,
- milk,
- sugar,
- eggs,
- meat.
The issue of grain crops was also raised by the deputy, who inquired why the republic cannot achieve 100% self-sufficiency in this sector despite having suitable land and seeds.
In response, the deputy minister explained that production volumes are insufficient, and out of 1.2 million hectares of arable land for grains, only about 600 thousand hectares are being utilized. Additionally, he noted that hard varieties of grains do not always meet the necessary standards; however, work on updating the varieties is already underway.
Aisarakan Abdibaeva also noted that, according to her observations, the population has started to use sourdough bread more frequently and purchase flour produced in Russia. She expressed concerns about the unknown composition of imported flour and added that flour from Kazakhstan also raises questions regarding its quality.
