At a recent government meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin, the progress of dairy farm construction across Kazakhstan was reviewed. The meeting focused on replicating the successful model of North Kazakhstan’s preferential lending system for dairy farm development under the “Big Project,” which began in 2023.

The Big Project’s first tranche of KZT 100bn ($207mn), at a favorable 2.5% interest rate, aims to fund the construction of 65 dairy farms by 2024. North Kazakhstan is leading the way, with 17 new dairy farms underway. To support these projects, KZT 17bn ($35.2mn) has been allocated for livestock acquisition and construction work. Entrepreneurs themselves have invested the remaining KZT 54.5bn ($112.7mn) required to complete the region’s farms.

Other regions are also participating in the project, with 12 dairy farms under construction in Almaty, 7 in Akmola, and 6 each in Pavlodar and East Kazakhstan. Smaller numbers of projects are taking place in Kostanay, West Kazakhstan, Zhetysu, Turkestan, Abay, and Aktobe regions.

Vice Minister of Agriculture Ermek Kenzhekhanuly reported that 94.4% of the first tranche has already been utilized, resulting in the completion of 20 new dairy farms, while work on 24 others is nearing the finish line. However, delays are affecting 21 projects, with East Kazakhstan and Almaty regions falling behind schedule. In Almaty, six out of the 12 planned farms face potential delays, and one project in East Kazakhstan has yet to start.

Deputy Prime Minister Zhumangarin urged regional leaders to expedite the completion of projects and meet their targets by the end of the fourth quarter of 2024.