The future of agribusiness lies with large-scale holdings. Only they have the capacity to inject the necessary investment into the industry to properly organize technological processes. Consequently, it is these large-scale projects that serve as conduits for introducing advanced technologies into the agricultural sector, while also being capable of effectively managing vast tracts of farmland. 

A case in point is Atameken Agro, which holds over 440,000 hectares of agricultural land. This land bank enables the agricultural holding not only to operate successfully in crop production but also to develop beef and dairy livestock farming and plan projects in agricultural processing.

Kintal Islamov, Chairman of the Management Board of Atameken-Agro, spoke to the portal ElDala.kz about the results of the 2026 agricultural season.

Advantages of early sowing

— Atameken-Agro was one of the first companies in Kazakhstan to adopt earlier sowing dates. To what extent has this strategy proven its worth in terms of increased yields and year-on-year production stability? And how has this strategy performed during the current season, which has been extremely challenging in terms of weather conditions?

“We began practicing early sowing in 2016,” said Kintal Islamov. “This current season marks our tenth year of engaging in early sowing. Throughout this period, we haven’t encountered any major catastrophes, and we remain convinced that our choice was the right one.”

The main advantage we’ve experienced is that we no longer have to deal with late-season harvesting. In fact, we shifted to an earlier sowing schedule after 2014, when an early cold snap left 40% of our crop in the fields, buried under the snow. By the spring of 2015, we were unable to harvest that crop, yet at the same time, we had to begin sowing.

Therefore, it is our view that the climate has changed significantly, and starting field operations earlier is now fully justified. We have tested this approach over the past decade; if anyone would like to see how this process unfolded and how it affected crop yields, we have the data and are happy to share it. Should any researchers be interested, we are prepared to provide it to them.

Zero-tillage technology requires crop rotation.

— In recent years, Kazakhstan has seen an active diversification of sown areas. Wheat is giving way to more profitable crops, primarily oilseeds. What is the current structure of sown areas at Atameken-Agro, and what range of crops do you grow? Are there any plans to adjust the crop rotation in the near future?

“Along with the introduction of early sowing, we also began diversifying our cultivated areas. Currently, our cropping structure is such that oilseeds account for 25–30% of the land each year, while legumes make up 20–30%. The remaining 50% is dedicated to cereals—specifically wheat and barley. We have followed this crop rotation pattern year after year.”

Diversification is linked not only to market conditions but also to technology—specifically, the adoption of zero-tillage (no-till) farming, which necessitates crop rotation. Fields should feature an alternating sequence of crops with fibrous root systems, taproot systems, and combinations of both. This process naturally loosens the soil and helps maintain a healthy biological soil structure.

When people speak of unsuccessful experiences with the implementation of zero-tillage technology, it seems to me that this may well be due to a failure to follow the principle of crop rotation. This is because crop residues and root systems can be used to improve soil fertility and alter soil structure.

In our experience, while we did see yield losses during the initial years of transitioning to zero-tillage, the situation has since shifted, and yields have begun to rise. The soil itself has also changed: back in 2014, 2015, and 2016, we would see large cracks in the ground during periods of drought, but this year I’ve seen virtually none. This indicates that something has changed in the soil structure itself.

High logistics costs erode profit margins

— The 2026 harvest is nearly complete. Are you satisfied with the yield you’ve obtained? What was the average yield for the main crops?

“Of course, this year’s weather conditions were unfavorable, and crop yields fell short of our expectations. Still, compared to many others, our results are better. In our least productive fields—those that received very little summer rainfall—the average yield was around 15 centners per hectare. In our best fields, which fared better in terms of precipitation, it reached 25 centners per hectare. Across the entire agricultural holding, our grain crops averaged about 19 centners per hectare this season. That’s not bad, especially considering that we made some agrotechnological errors—due to a mix of objective and subjective factors. Had we managed to avoid those, our yields would have been higher.”

— Once the harvest is complete, an important task remains: selling the crop on favorable terms. How optimal are the current market prices for agricultural produce?

— International prices for agricultural products are quite good. However, we are located a significant distance from our primary markets, which has a major impact on our domestic pricing because logistics costs have become very high. As a result, we are now incurring losses on certain crops that were previously quite profitable. For instance, we used to export lentils via the Black Sea; before 2022, shipping costs were $75–85 per unit, but today they are $160–180. We recently shipped a batch through the Baltic states, which also involved very high logistics costs. Given that lentil prices have also fallen, we are now selling them at a loss—even though this crop used to be quite profitable.

In-house processing will increase profitability

— Will oilseeds remain profitable this season?

— As for oilseeds, there is an expectation that processors will exert some pressure—especially now, while the harvest is still underway and many farmers are selling their crops straight from the field. However, once the harvest is complete, I believe this pressure will subside, and processors will revise their prices.

— To what extent could having in-house processing facilities for agricultural raw materials boost the overall profitability of a large-scale agricultural enterprise? What are your development plans in this area?

“As of today, we have already begun construction on our own oil-processing plant, which will have a capacity of 1,200 tons of sunflower seeds and 800–900 tons of rapeseed or flax seeds. We plan to complete construction by the end of next year and begin commissioning the equipment. This will boost our own profit margins while also helping the farmers from whom we source raw materials to operate more profitably. We will create competition for other processors and help restore fairness for farmers—because we work the land ourselves, and it is our duty to support our fellow agricultural producers.”

Livestock farming has emerged from the shadows

— For a long time, the livestock sector was sustained by capital injections from other areas of the business. Has the situation changed now that livestock and meat prices have risen? Which is currently more profitable—crop farming or livestock farming? Does Atameken-Agro have plans to further develop its livestock division as part of its new Comprehensive Plan leading up to 2030?

“Over the last two years, prices for livestock products have finally reached a more or less reasonable level. Before that, the situation was such that the more livestock you had, the greater your losses. That’s why, at one point, we were forced to reduce our herd size. Now that the business has become profitable, we are increasing our livestock numbers—with plans to at least double them.”

As for dairy farming, two years ago we built our first dairy farm in the village of Korneevka, in the North Kazakhstan Region. We are pleased with its performance. We are currently designing a new dairy farm in the Akmola Region, which will house 3,100 dairy cows. If this venture proves successful, we plan to replicate farms of this scale, eventually bringing the total number to six.

Furthermore, there are plans to build a dedicated facility for the deep processing of milk—specifically, deep processing aimed at producing ingredients for infant formula and the pharmaceutical industry. The production of cheeses and whey will also be established.

A successful agribusiness requires investment

— Atameken-Agro has supported the publication of an infographic guide on Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial complex by the portal ElDala.kz, becoming a partner in the project. Do you see the "Infobook" as a valuable tool for increasing transparency in the country’s agribusiness sector and attracting new investors to the industry?

— Agribusiness in Kazakhstan not only has a right to exist, but it should also become one of the leading sectors of our economy. Any talk suggesting that this is an unpromising field is simply detached from reality. I believe the most important thing is to identify the right agricultural technology and follow it strictly; if that is done, success in agribusiness is inevitable. Naturally, one must also recognize that this sector requires significant capital investment to carry out all the necessary technological processes. Only then is it possible to achieve high, stable yields, regardless of climatic conditions.