The Acting Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Serik Zhumangarin, held a session of meetings with the heads of eight industry associations of producers and sellers of staple foods on August 19, 2022. These include the representatives of the Dairy Union, the Poultry Union, the Grain Union, the Oil and Fats Union of Producers, the Union of Farmers, the Union of Potato and Vegetable Growers, the Union of Grain Processors, the Association of Sugar, Food Processing Industry, the Association of Oil and Fats Producers, the Association of Egg Producers of Kazakhstan. 

The representatives of the food business voiced topical issues of the industry and the possibility of meeting the needs of the population with its food products. In particular, the Executive Director of The Dairy Union of Kazakhstan, Vladimir Kozhevnikov, noted that today the industry is ready to provide the supply of white products, such as milk, kefir, sour cream at 100%. What is needed to achieve this indicator, the main problems of the industry and proposals for stabilizing the prices and supply of staple foods on the domestic market were presented by all participants of the meetings.  For the majority of producers, taking into account the specificity of each industry, the main solution to most of the problems is the timely access to turnover schemes.

Serik Zhumangarin said that the Government will present legislative initiatives by the end of the year, aimed to support domestic agricultural producers in the sale of products to large retail chains.  The revision of the revolving scheme is already being considered for action instead of trading networks, but directly to producers. 

"A lot of significant proposals were made, which should be changed in the system of financing to avoid a large increase in prices and deficit. Tomorrow we plan to meet with deputy akims of the regions on the new system of contracting and sales of socially important food products," Serik Zhumangarin said.

As a result of the meetings, the participants agreed to continue discussing the possibilities of stabilizing food prices.