Astana, May 13, 2025 — The Europe Today: Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has instructed the Ministry of Agriculture to strengthen locust control measures in the Turkistan and Zhambyl regions, according to media reports released on Monday.
The directive follows warnings from the Ministry of Agriculture that locust swarms are expected to affect approximately 2.1 million hectares of croplands across the country this year. Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov confirmed the forecast, emphasizing the urgency of proactive mitigation.
To support the campaign, 7.1 billion tenge has been allocated from the national budget for locust control activities. Minister Saparov reported that treatment efforts have already been undertaken across 390,000 hectares, including 368,000 hectares in the Turkistan region and 27,000 hectares in the Zhambyl region. He noted that operations are ongoing and will continue in the coming weeks.
Prime Minister Bektenov stressed the importance of conducting high-quality monitoring and implementing both preventive and protective measures in coordination with regional governors. He also called for enhanced interdepartmental cooperation to ensure a rapid and effective response to the locust threat.
In particular, the Prime Minister underscored the need for special attention to be paid to the Turkistan and Zhambyl regions, where the risk of agricultural damage is currently deemed most severe. Regular updates on the status of locust spread and control measures were also mandated to ensure transparency and informed decision-making.
