Kazakhstan: census finds 57% of self-propelled farm machinery is over 10 years old, and the number of farm enterprises has more than doubled

On 13 November the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan reported the results of the National Agricultural Census, held from 1 August to 20 October 2025 with the support of the UN FAO. It is the first survey of the farm sector on this scale in almost 20 years; the data come from the Bureau of National Statistics.

Key figures

• 57% of machines 10+ years
• 290,000 farm holdings
• Enterprises: 9.5k → 21k
• Sown area: 18.3 → 23.2m ha
• Oilseeds: 4% → 17% of area
• 707,000 people employed

What changed

The census covered about 290,000 farm holdings and 1.7 million household plots — 97% of the total. Data were collected digitally: 92% of farm holdings and 19% of household plots completed the census online, and the rest were interviewed by enumerators with tablets. The results were compared with the previous census of 2006–2007.

In figures

Main changes between the two censuses:

• The number of farm holdings grew by 42% — from 204,000 to 290,000.
• Farm enterprises more than doubled — from 9,500 to 21,000; peasant and family farms and individual entrepreneurs rose from 194,000 to 269,000.
• Sown area grew from 18.3 to 23.2 million ha; the share of grains fell from 81% to 69%, while oilseeds rose from 4% to 17%.
• About 707,000 people work in the organised sector; of the self-propelled farm machinery on record, 57% has been in service for more than 10 years.

What this means for the buyer

More than half of the country's self-propelled machinery has worked for over ten years, which shows how large the need for fleet renewal is. Sown area has grown by almost 5 million ha and oilseeds have gained noticeably in the crop mix, so farms need machines that handle both grains and oilseeds. If you plan to replace a combine, sprayer or tractor, decide in advance which crops will take the main acreage and allow time in your plan for selection, purchase and delivery from the USA.

Context

In livestock, the share of farm enterprises in the herd (in livestock units) rose from 20% to 68%, with household plots at 32%. The results are published on stat.gov.kz under 'National Agricultural Census 2025': you can look up how many farms operate in your region, what crops they grow and what herds and machinery they have.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 13 November 2026