Photo: Mark Stebnicki / Pexels
Kazakhstan has proposed creating a platform for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries to share water-saving farming technologies. The country has increased subsidies covering the cost of irrigation water to 85% for those using these technologies (inbusiness.kz). Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Agriculture Minister Nazgul Khatepova stressed the importance of saving water amid growing shortages.
What happened
Khatepova presented the proposal at an SCO roundtable in China. The meeting took place during the 33rd Yangling Agricultural Exhibition in Shaanxi province. Kazakhstan proposed bringing government agencies, scientists, agricultural universities, equipment manufacturers and farmers together on a single platform.
The platform would allow participants to share innovations, conduct joint research and test technologies in the field. Areas of cooperation would include drip and sprinkler irrigation, digital soil moisture monitoring and automated irrigation control. Other areas would include preventing salt buildup in irrigated land and training specialists.
What it means
Kazakhstan cultivates 1.6 million hectares of irrigated land. Water-saving technologies are already used on 702.3 thousand hectares, or roughly 44% of that area. Modern irrigation systems saved around 874 million cubic metres of irrigation water in 2025.
To help farmers switch to these systems more quickly, the government has increased reimbursement for purchase and installation costs from 60% to 80%. Subsidies covering the cost of irrigation water for those using water-saving technologies have risen from 50% to 85%.
A total of 214.6 billion tenge has been earmarked for investment subsidies for water-saving technologies in 2026–2028. Kazakhstan is also developing domestic irrigation equipment production and expanding access to agricultural machinery and equipment.
What goals Kazakhstan has set
“It is important that our cooperation focus on concrete results that directly meet farmers’ needs,” Nazgul Khatepova stressed.
The deputy minister said technologies developed jointly should be introduced with the local climate and agricultural producers’ needs in mind. She also linked efficient water use to food security, agricultural resilience and rural development.
By 2030, Kazakhstan plans to expand the area using water-saving technologies to 1.3 million hectares. This is expected to save up to 2.2 billion cubic metres of water annually.
