Kazakhstan: livestock bought under Igilik and Bereke must be insured — the state pays 80% of the premium

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture reminded farmers on November 11 that pedigree livestock is being imported under the Igilik and Bereke programmes, and under the loan terms the animals must be insured. The farmer pays 20% of the insurance premium; a state subsidy covers the other 80%.

Key figures

• Insurance is a loan condition
• Farmer pays 20% of premium
• 80% — state subsidy
• Term: 3, 6, 9 or 12 months
• Online via QALQAN
• Cattle, sheep, horses, pigs

What changed

Igilik finances imported pedigree cattle and small ruminants, as well as domestic and imported pedigree horses, camels, pigs, maral deer and bee colonies. Bereke is for farms importing large batches of pedigree cattle and small ruminants. The animals must be registered, properly kept and given veterinary care, and insured — without insurance the loan terms are not met, so insurance is arranged together with the purchase.

What the insurance covers

Livestock insurance products cover a wide list of risks:

• Infectious, parasitic and non-contagious diseases.
• Accidents — lightning, electric shock, heat stroke, hypothermia, attacks by wild animals, poisoning, snake and insect bites, drowning, falls into ravines.
• Natural disasters — floods, mudflows, avalanches, landslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, and fire (depending on the product).
• Mandatory seizure and destruction of animals in outbreaks of especially dangerous diseases — anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis, tuberculosis.

How to apply

Insurance is taken out online through the QALQAN service on Kezekte.kz: register with an electronic signature, choose the insurance product, the insurer and what is insured, then sign an electronic contract. The animals must be registered in the farm-animal identification system. The beneficiary can be the farmer or the lender. Contracts run for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months, chosen to fit the farm's production cycle. Claims are filed through the same electronic system; the payout depends on the product, the sum insured and the deductible. The agricultural insurance operator is the Agrarian Credit Corporation.

What it means for a buyer

A farm taking a loan to import livestock should budget 20% of the insurance premium from the start — the state pays the rest. Cattle, small ruminants, horses, pigs and poultry can be insured. A bigger herd usually means more forage work too: if you plan to renew forage or harvesting machinery, allow time for buying and shipping from the US.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, November 11, 2026