Proposals were announced during a meeting chaired by akim of the region Nurlan Nogayev, with the participation of the Deputy Chairman of the NCE RK "Atameken" Yeldar Zhumagaziyev, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, the region's activists and entrepreneurs. The meeting was held on the initiative of Timur Kulibayev, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Council, who visited the region last week.

At the meeting, Yelldar Zhumagaziyev noted that the development of the agro-industrial complex of the Atyrau region is an extremely important direction and brought to the agenda two main issues. The first is the factors hindering the development of the fishing industry in the region, the second is a detailed screening for the prospects of the region.

Fishing quotas provision is one of the main problem for local fishermen. According to them quotas are distributed unevenly and opaque from year to year. A heated debate was sparked on the issue with the participation of the representative of the "Kazakhrybkhoz", who assured that the "rules of the game" are determined by the Ministry of Agriculture.  

"How do you explain that one firm has a full set of equipment, a qualified staff, and the other has nothing. Nevertheless both of the companies get the same quotas. This information I received. This is not right! I shall discuss it with Umirzak Yestayevich Shukeyev to change the situation ("Kazakhrybkhoz" - author's note), "Akim of Atyrau region Nurlan Nogayev said.

As a result, the issue was agreed to be included in the program for the development of the fishing industry. 

"We informed the Vice-Minister of Agriculture Yerlan Nysanbayev about the fish issues. Soon a special program for the development of the industry will be developed. We suggest including representatives from Atyrau region in the working group on the development of this program. Also, the business has many questions: what kind of industry needs to be developed in agriculture, what volume of products to produce, where it can be exported, etc. Since last year, "Atameken" conducts a screening that will answer all business questions" Yeldar Zhumagaziyev said.

In general, the share of agriculture in the region in the GRP is only 1%, noted the director of the department of agro-industrial complex and food industry of the NCE RK "Atameken" Yerbol Yeseneyev. Although there are all conditions to increase the production of agricultural products in the region.

"However, there are also constraints in the development of the industry, which need to be jointly resolved. First, it is a lack of infrastructure for irrigation. For comparison: the cost of water in Atyrau is 4 times more expensive than the average price in other regions of Kazakhstan. This also hinders the development of animal husbandry ... Therefore, there is a need to develop and approve the Regional Program for the development of the Atyrau region agro-industrial complex for a 5-year period, "Yerbol Yeseneyev noted.

Yerbol Yeseneyev voiced proposals for inclusion in the development program of the agro-industrial complex: the creation of specialized agrozones and the regionalization of subsidies. Particular attention was paid to the issue of water supply, which is key for the Atyrau region.

In this regard, "Atameken" proposes to build a water canal from the river Kigash to the village of Zhanbai, a length of 150 km. In addition, it was suggested to study the potential of groundwater and conduct a detailed reassessment of the reserves of the fields. "In our opinion, this is a huge resource," Yerbol Yeseneyev emphasized.

The heads of the farms in the Atyrau region supported the proposal to build a water canal.   

"I am an agricultural specialist ,myself, my father was engaged in livestock. There used to be water but not today. The proposal for the construction of a water canal is  correct. Even if we build a summer water canal, 70-80 km long, in our Isatay district, this would solve many of our problems" Bigali Mutiyev, head of the Mutiev BD said.

National Chamber also announced proposals for the establishment of a meat processing plant and the development of the fishing industry in the region.

Akim of the region Nurlan Nogayev agreed that Atameken's proposals are relevant and announced readiness for their detailed elaboration. According to him, the main task is to work together to create conditions for business.

"Together with the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs "Atameken" it is necessary to determine the potential of each locality. For our part, we are ready to provide all the necessary assistance. Initially, when Yerbol Eseneev voiced the proposal to create a water canal, I replied that according to my information, the groundwater resources of Bali and Janasu are highly mineralized and not suitable for use, but situation has changed. It means we had incorrect information. We must find a starting point and work towards solving problems in the sphere of the agro-industrial complex" the head of the region summed up.