2030 vision: Kazakhstan investing in agricultural talent
The Kazakh Government has reviewed proposals to increase stipends for agricultural students and addressed the labor demand for the agricultural sector, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Senators Zakirzhan Kuziyev and Zhanbolat Zhorgenbayev initiated the respective inquiry, pointing to critical issues in agricultural workforce training.
According to the legislators, despite an increase in the total number of educational grants, the share of grants in the fields of "Agriculture and Bioresources" and "Veterinary Medicine" has declined in recent years. Moreover, the MPs drew specific attention to the disparity in stipend amounts.
"Currently, the stipend for students in agricultural and veterinary specialties is around 52,000 tenge, which is substantially lower than the 84,000 tenge provided to students in pedagogical and medical fields," the senators' inquiry stated.
The senators proposed revising the state educational order to increase agricultural grants, equalizing stipend amounts, approving the 2026–2030 development program for the Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, and extending trust management agreements with specialized research institutes.
In his response, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov noted that according to the medium-term forecast, Kazakhstan's economy will face a demand for 883,000 specialists by 2030. This includes 63,000 (7%) for the agricultural industry.
"88% of the stated demand in the agricultural sector consists of unskilled or vocational workers, while 12% (7,600 people) are specialists with higher education."
In 2025, the Government allocated 3,018 grants for "Agriculture and Bioresources" and 1,451 for "Veterinary Medicine." As of September 1, 2025, stipends have been increased by 20% to reach 52,372 tenge.
"Given the abovementioned, it is appropriate to consider further increasing stipends for agricultural students after 2028," the document says.
It is also noted that the draft 2026–2030 development program for the Kazakh National Agrarian Research is currently undergoing the approval process by government agencies. Meanwhile, the extension of trust management agreements falls under the jurisdiction of the Board of Directors of the National Agrarian Science and Educational Center.
Qazinform previously reported that the Kazakh President urged the Government to boost the efficiency in agriculture.