Agricultural machinery manufacturing in the Republic of Kazakhstan: long-term growth and pathways for modernization

The current stage of agricultural machinery development in the Republic of Kazakhstan can be characterized as a period of formation. An important priority is the further improvement of the entire manufacturing complex to meet the needs of agriculture for machinery and equipment as fully as possible.

The objective – is to substantiate measures aimed at stabilizing the current situation in the agricultural machinery manufacturing sector.

Methods – quantitative, qualitative, and factor analysis, as well as economic-statistical and abstract-logical methods, were employed to assess the efficiency of the machinery fleet, identify the influence of various factors on performance, and provide a basis for strategic planning and optimization of the AIC.

Results – the list of priority agricultural mechanization equipment is dominated by tractors, grain harvesting machinery, and sowing equipment. At the same time, machinery for the cultivation and harvesting of rice, sugar beet, cotton, vegetable and melon crops, orchards, and vineyards is absent, with the exception of cotton harvesters. In addition, the register does not adequately include equipment required for the implementation of precision agriculture technologies. A study of the land areas operated under different forms of farming indicates that only the northern, eastern, and central regions of the republic possess the prerequisites for the rational utilization of agricultural machinery by agricultural enterprises and peasant (farm) holdings.

Conclusions – the key driver of modernization in Kazakhstan’s agricultural machinery manufacturing sector is the list of priority agricultural machinery and equipment, which determines the specific types of tractors, combines, sowing machines, tillage equipment, and other agricultural machinery eligible for state support programs, subsidies, or preferential lending. Taking into account this nomenclature and the types of agricultural machinery widely used worldwide and required by the country, the missing elements necessary for the further expansion and strengthening of Kazakhstan’s agricultural engineering industry within the AIC and for export development have been identified. Automation and robotics, the application of artificial intelligence and data analytics technologies, innovative materials, and the growth of agricultural production are the principal trends shaping future development.

1. Mahmood, G.G., Liberatori, S. & Mazzetto, F. (2025). Agricultural Mechanization Perspective in Pakistan: Present Challenges and Digital Future. Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 56(2), 1636 [in English].

2. Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (2024). Available at: https://www.fao.org/sustain-able-agricultural-mechanization (date of access: 12.03.2026) [in English].

3. Daum, T. (2023). Mechanization and Sustainable Agri-Food System Transformation in the Global South: A Review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 43, 16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-023-00868-x [in English].

4. Hoose, A., Yepes, V. & Kripka, M. (2021). Selecting a Product Range in the Agricultural Machinery Industry with Sustainability in Mind When Making Decisions. Sustainability, 13(16), 9110. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169110 [in English].

5. Mi, Q., Li, X. & Gao, J. (2020). How to Improve the Welfare of Smallholders through Agricultural Production Outsourcing: Evidence from Cotton Farmers in Xinjiang, Northwest China. Journal of Cleaner Production, 256, 120636 [in English].

6. Han, C.-H. & Zhang, D.-Y. (2020). Service Delivery Models Linking Smallholder Farmers to Modern Agriculture: A Mechanism and Impact Analysis. Guangdong University of Finance and Economics Journal, 35(2), 82–92 [in English].

7. Loon, J.V., Woltering, L., Krupnik, T.J., Baudron, F., Alvarado, M.B. & Govaerts, B. (2020). Scaling Agricultural Mechanization Services in Smallholder Farming Systems: Case Studies from Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. Agricultural Systems, 180, 102792. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102792 [in English].

8. Zhang, Y., Zhang, J., Liu, Y. & Zhu, P. (2023). Agricultural Machinery Service Adoption and Farmland Transfer-In Decision: Evidence from Rural China. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 11, 1195877. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1195877 [in English].

9. Liao, W., Zeng, F. & Chanieabate, M. (2022). Mechanization of Small-Scale Agriculture in China: Lessons for Enhancing Smallholder Access to Agricultural Machinery. Sustainability, 14(13), 7964. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137964 [in English].

10. Yang, S. & Li, W. (2022). The Impact of Socialized Agricultural Machinery Services on Land Productivity: Evidence from China. Agriculture, 12(12), 2072. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture 12122072 [in English].

11. Toigambaev, S.K. & Evgrafov, V.A. (2020). Effektivnost' ispol'zovaniya mashinotraktornogo parka predpriyatiya [Efficiency of Using the Machine and Tractor Fleet of an Enterprise]. Available at: http://www.apej.ru (date of access: 16.03.2026) [in Russian].

12. Ibrishev, N.N., Zhumasheva, S.T. & Dosumova, Zh.S. (2025). Metodicheskie rekomendatsii po formirovaniyu parka tekhnicheskikh sredstv i oborudovaniya sel'skokhozyaistvennykh formirovanii [Methodological Recommendations for Forming a Fleet of Technical Means and Equipment of Agricultural Enterprises]. Almaty: KazNII ekonomiki APK i razvitiya sel'skikh territorii [Kazakh Research Institute of Economy of Agro-Industrial Complex and Rural Development], 34 [in Russian].

13. Kupiya, M. & Koval'chik, Z. (2020). Optimizatsiya vybora parka mashin v ustoichivom sel'skom khozyaistve [Optimization of Fleet Selection in Sustainable Agriculture]. Ustoichivost' [Sustainability], 12(4), 1380. DOI: http://doi.org/10.3390/su12041380 [in Russian].

14. Qazaqstan Respublikasynyng mashina zhasau salasyn damytu zhonindegi 2024–2028 zhyldarga arnalgan keshendi zhospardy bekitu turaly. Qazaqstan Respublikasy Ukimetinin 2023 zhylgy 7 qarashadagy № 991 qaulysy [On Approval of the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Machine-Building Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2024–2028. Resolution No. 991 of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated November 7, 2023] (2023). Available at: https://www.adilet.zan.kz (date of access: 12.03.2026) [in Kazakh].

15. Qazaqstan Respublikasy auyl sharuashylygy ministrligi [Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan] (2026). Available at: https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/moa (date of access: 12.03.2026) [in Kazakh].

16. Traktornoe i sel'skokhozyaistvennoe mashinostroenie v Kazakhstane: tekushchee sostoyanie, problemy i perspektivy rosta [Tractor and Agricultural Machinery Manufacturing in Kazakhstan: Current State, Problems and Growth Prospects] (2022). Available at: https://www.qazindustry.gov.kz (date of access: 12.03.2026) [in Russian]