Kazakhstan’s fisheries investment portfolio reaches 60bn tenge

Serik Sermagambetov, Chairman of the Fisheries Committee under Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture, announced this at the first international “AUYL FEST. Fisheries” festival in Shymkent, noting that the total value of the investment portfolio stands at 60 billion tenge.

The launch of new facilities is expected to enable the production of 30,000 tons of feed and 14,000 tons of fish annually.

Sermagambetov noted that the sector is already showing positive momentum. Thanks to the fisheries development program launched in 2021, the number of specialized farms in the country has increased more than two and a half times, reaching 700.

Production volumes have grown from 9,000 to 26,000 tons per year. Private investment has also increased. Between 2021 and 2025, 95 projects on fish farming and processing were implemented with a total value of about 26 billion tenge. The total production capacity of these projects exceeds 20,000 tons per year, creating around 1,200 jobs.

A key driver of growth remains state support provided under the Law on Aquaculture.

In particular, 30% of feed procurement costs are reimbursed, along with 50% of expenses for purchasing fish stock, medicines, and broodstock. Additionally, 25% of investment costs are subsidized for the construction or expansion of feed production plants, pond farms, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), and hatcheries, as well as 50% of drilling costs. In 2024–2025, ten aquaculture entities received loans totaling 5.7 billion tenge.

“In the current year, the ministry is introducing a lending program for aquaculture entities to replenish working capital at an annual rate of 5% for up to 18 months, and at 6% for investment projects. The program will be launched in the near future,” the committee chairman said.

It is worth noting that the forum venue in Shymkent brought together leading experts from Norway, Japan, the United States, China, and other countries. Participants discussed the adoption of innovative technologies in aquaculture and ways to attract foreign investment to achieve targets set for 2030.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan boosts grain and flour exports to nearly 9 million tons.