Kazakhstan will develop a comprehensive programme aimed at expanding the use of water-saving technologies in agriculture. As reported by the government's press service, the corresponding instruction was issued by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin during a meeting on the development of irrigated agriculture.
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The programme will combine measures to modernise irrigation infrastructure, provide financial support to agricultural producers, and encourage the use of domestically produced equipment and materials.
The document will cover the entire process of introducing modern irrigation systems, from securing water sources to installing equipment on farms. Planned measures include preferential financing for sprinkler machines, irrigation systems, and related infrastructure, as well as a financial model that considers crop types and expected economic efficiency. Priority under state support schemes is expected to be given to machinery and equipment manufactured in Kazakhstan.
Irrigation expansion and domestic manufacturing drive
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Kazakhstan currently has 1.6 million hectares of irrigated farmland. Of this total, 57% is irrigated using surface methods, 36% with water-saving technologies, and 7% through continuous flooding.
Seven domestic manufacturers of sprinkler equipment currently operate in the country, including three in the Turkestan region, two in Astana, and one each in Almaty and the Atyrau region. At the same time, projects are underway to localise production of equipment from global brands Lindsey, Valley, and Bauer, improving farmers' access to modern irrigation machinery.
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The government plans to increase irrigated land to 2.5 million hectares by 2030. In 2026, Kazakhstan also linked the structure of sown areas to actual water-use limits for the first time. As a result, rice cultivation was reduced by 20.6 thousand hectares, while cotton acreage remained at 162.4 thousand hectares due to wider adoption of water-saving technologies. Drip irrigation under cotton expanded by 29.8 thousand hectares, while traditional irrigation methods declined by 12 thousand hectares.
Spring field work is nearing completion, with the total sown area in 2026 reaching 23.8 million hectares, including 80 thousand hectares of rice and 162.4 thousand hectares of cotton.
Government support transition to efficient irrigation
To accelerate the adoption of modern irrigation technologies, Kazakhstan already offers several state support measures. Farmers can receive reimbursement of up to 80% of costs for drilling wells and purchasing and installing water-saving irrigation systems. Differentiated subsidies for irrigation water are also available depending on the technology used.
The government aims to introduce water-saving technologies on at least 150 thousand hectares each year. These technologies currently cover 543.5 thousand hectares, with a target of expanding the area to 1.3 million hectares by 2030.
In addition, around 30 thousand hectares of rainfed land are expected to be converted to irrigated land annually, with approximately 60% of these new areas equipped with sprinkler systems. Government estimates indicate that achieving this goal will require the purchase of about 1,500 sprinkler machines each year, while preferential lending for agricultural producers is expected to total around 90 billion tenge annually.