On March 13, 2020, a meeting was held in the format of a conference call between the management of NASEC and international experts of the Asian Development Bank on the reforms of the agro-industrial complex of Kazakhstan.

Starting the meeting, the First Deputy Chairman of the Board of the NASEC Essenbai Islamov introduced the participants from the NASEC, Yerkin Satenbayev, Director of the Department of Science, Marat Jadayev, Director of the Department for dissemination of knowledge and Dana Borumbayeva, Director of the Department of
Investments and International Cooperation.

On behalf of ADB, Giovanni Capannelli, Director of the ADB Representative Office in Kazakhstan, Tin Htot Oo, an international expert from Myanmar, and Hans Woldring, Principal Agriculture Specialist, participated in the meeting.

Under the chairmanship of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Asian Development Bank, a working group on agricultural reform in Kazakhstan functions. Toleutai Rakhimbekov, Chairman of the Board of NASEC, is a member of this working group, which is attended by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of the RK, KazAgro, AIFC, KPMG, Deloitte and the World Bank.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the results of a two-day workshop on the basis of KazNAU dedicated to reforms in the agricultural sector of Kazakhstan. The head of ADB, Giovanni Capannelli, thanked the NASEC for speaking at the seminar with a presentation on the extension system. D. Capannelli noted that following the seminar all representatives of the agricultural sector were heard and, in particular, recommendations were received directly from the farmers themselves on improving reforms in the agricultural sector.

E.Islamov noted that this seminar was very useful for participants in the agricultural sector and proposed to organize a similar seminar in the northern and western regions of Kazakhstan on the basis of agricultural universities of the NASEC KazATU in the city of Nur-Sultan and WKATU in the city of Uralsk. ADB representatives, in turn, supported Essenbai Islamov’s proposal and announced their intention to hold similar seminars in the proposed regions of Kazakhstan.

Tin Htot Oo an international expert from Myanmar shared with successful experience in agricultural reforms in such Asian countries as Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. Among the important factors of reforms in the agro-industrial complex of Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar were the harmonization of state policy and collaboration of all stakeholders of the agricultural sector, the strengthening of research institutes, extension in partnership with farmers and automation of production. These are the main components that gave impetus to the development of the agricultural industry in the above-mentioned Asian countries.

“I would like to note the commitment of the NASEC to open cooperation with ADB. Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial complex is interested in the approach of Asian countries in successful reforms of agricultural sector and NASEC is studying with interest the best cases,” said Essenbai Islamov.

The parties agreed to continue the established cooperation on joint projects.