"Animal Husbandry Should Now Be Recognized as a Priority Direction" - Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Head of Kazakhstan

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, for the first time at the level of the head of state, formulated a new development vertical for the sector: "Animal husbandry should now be recognized as a priority direction."

This means reallocating state resources in favor of livestock projects, systematic relaxations for the sector, and a fundamental restructuring towards goals:

• increasing the number of cattle and sheep,

• boosting milk and meat production,

• protecting exports,

• digitalizing and fully modernizing the veterinary sector.

Dairy Animal Husbandry: Systemic Tasks and New Guidelines

Although the word "dairy" is not directly highlighted in the speech, it is logically and functionally integrated into all of the president's directives because:

• dairy animal husbandry is a key source of food security,

• dairy farms are the largest part of investment projects in the agro-industrial complex,

• yield is the main indicator of livestock efficiency.

Three direct blocks of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's directives are critically important for the dairy sector:

1. Increasing livestock numbers and developing the breeding base

The President stated: "The goal is to increase livestock numbers to guarantee Kazakhstan's status as a major meat supplier to international markets."

For the dairy sector, this means:

• expanding the dairy herd,

• developing specialized dairy breeds (HF, Montbéliarde, Simmental),

• long-term financing for the construction of dairy farms,

• focusing on genetics, reproduction, and herd health.

Simultaneously, the state is strengthening subsidies for:

• the import of breeding cattle,

• the construction of feedlots (related sector),

• pasture water supply (critical for the fodder base of dairy farms).

Tokayev highlighted the problem very clearly: "It must be recognized that the situation in the veterinary sector leaves much to be desired."

For the dairy sector, this is a key risk:

• any outbreak of infections closes the export of raw materials, serum, milk, cheeses;

• the status of regions directly depends on disease monitoring;

• certification and traceability are mandatory conditions for entering China, the Persian Gulf, and the EU.

The President instructed:

• to modernize veterinary services,

• improve the material base,

• strengthen control infrastructure,

• increase motivation for veterinarians.

This is a direct foundation for the export of dairy products.

3. Creating profitable conditions for dairy farms — loans, equipment, and digitalization

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reported: "The volume of preferential lending has exceeded 1 trillion tenge for the first time... ten times more than five years ago."

For the dairy sector, this means:

• more accessible loans for the construction of dairy farms,

• the opportunity to upgrade equipment (feeders, mixers, milking equipment),

• expanding working capital for feed purchases.

He also emphasized the rapid renewal of equipment: "Four years ago, the wear and tear of agricultural machinery was at 90%, but this year it has decreased to 70%."

The machine park is a critically important basis for feed production, which makes up to 60% of the cost of milk.

Digitalization of Animal Husbandry — A New Mandatory Standard

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated: "We need to move from isolated 'smart' solutions to full-fledged digital agro-production."

For dairy livestock, digitalization is already a global standard:

• automatic milking systems (AMS);

• digital accounting and monitoring of milk quality;

• RFID tags and animal identification;

• diet management through AI;

• productivity and reproduction forecasting.

In the coming years, digitalization will become a mandatory condition for receiving state support.

Export: Milk as Part of Kazakhstan's Global Positioning

The President noted: "The export of agricultural products exceeds five billion dollars... carried out in 70 countries."

In the long term, the dairy sector becomes part of the export strategy:

• Kazakhstan is actively considering the supply of whey, cheeses, and dry dairy products to China, Gulf countries, and Southeast Asia.

• Milk is part of the group of deep-processing products — a key vector of Tokayev.

He stated separately: "The most important task is to transform agriculture into an advanced industry based on modern technologies... the share of processed products should reach 70%."

For the dairy sector, this means:

• focus on cheese-making capacities;

• production of deep ingredients (WPC, WPI, caseinates);

• development of HoReCa products;

• export quality and packaging standards.

Pastures, Land, Water — Strategic Contour for Cattle

The President gave several key signals:

Land

"The land must serve the people... Since 2022, more than 14 million hectares of agricultural land have been returned to the state."

For the dairy sector, important aspects are:

• pastures for young cattle,

• hayfields,

• land assets as collateral for loans.

Water

"Rational use of water is a determining factor for the sustainability of our entire water ecosystem."

For dairy farms, this means:

• modernization of irrigation systems for feed production,

• support for water-saving projects.

The Social Role of Animal Husbandry

According to the President, "The origins of our people are connected to the village... Progress in agriculture means the development of villages."

Dairy farms are the most labor-intensive segment of the agro-industrial complex:

• 60-120 permanent jobs per dairy farm,

• year-round production,

• impact on village infrastructure.

Therefore, the development of animal husbandry automatically means the development of rural areas.

The President concluded his speech by presenting state awards, emphasizing respect for those working in the agro-industrial complex: "This is a manifestation of the boundless respect and sincere attention of our people to true workers."