Central Asian countries adopt food security plan through 2030

The first meeting of agriculture ministers from Central Asian countries took place in Tashkent, where participants discussed strengthening regional cooperation, developing sustainable agriculture, and ensuring food security. The event was reported by Kazinform, citing Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture.

The meeting gathered heads of agricultural agencies from the region, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations. The Kazakh delegation was led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Taszhurekov, who outlined the country’s key agri-industrial policies. He noted that Kazakhstan is actively diversifying its crop structure: the area under oilseeds has expanded by 1 million hectares, and under legumes by 300,000 hectares. Irrigated farming is also developing rapidly — over the past two years, the area using water-saving technologies has nearly doubled to 590,000 hectares, with plans to reach 1.3 million hectares by 2030.

Agricultural trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries reached USD 2.3 billion in January–September 2025, up 24.4% year-on-year. Kazakhstan mainly exports wheat, flour, vegetable oil, beef, and sugar, while importing mostly fruits and vegetables.

Participants also discussed the development of transport, energy, and innovation infrastructure, as well as the creation of cross-border logistics hubs. Kazakhstan showcased successful examples such as the Central Asia International Industrial Cooperation Center on the border with Uzbekistan and the Alatau Industrial and Logistics Complex near the border with Kyrgyzstan.

At the end of the meeting, a Joint Declaration and the Central Asia Food Security Plan through 2030 were signed. The document, initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, aims to strengthen coordination in agricultural policy and enhance regional integration. The sides also supported the creation of a Regional Center for Sustainable Agriculture, envisioned as a platform for knowledge exchange and the implementation of best global practices across the region.

Tags: food security, Kazakhstan