Bulaev Astyk, a company owning a grain elevator in the town of Bulaevo, North Kazakhstan Region, posted a net profit of 234.7 million tenge in 2025, up from 179.4 million tenge a year earlier. That represents a 30.9% increase, according to infohub.kz.
The company's core activities include receiving, storing, drying, and shipping grain, as well as issuing grain receipts. The sole owner of Bulaev Astyk is Sapar Kaiyrbek Seipiluly, the older brother of Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Seipellovich Saparov. Additionally, Kaiyrbek Sapar heads the capital-based company Stroymontazhprof, owned by Yerkin Rakhimbekov and Nurgazy Duisetov.
Bulaev Astyk's revenue in 2025 grew to 735.4 million tenge from 532.9 million tenge in 2024. Specifically, grain drying brought in 201.5 million tenge (compared to 194.3 million in 2024), grain shipping 240 million tenge (114.5 million), and grain storage 257.3 million tenge (204.8 million). The company's retained earnings at the end of 2025 stood at 552.3 million tenge.
According to open sources, when North Kazakhstan Region Governor Yerik Sultanov visited the elevator in 2014, its capacity was 30,000 tonnes of grain and oilseeds.
Nearly all successful businesses of Aidarbek Saparov's relatives are located in the North Kazakhstan Region, where his career developed. Journalists have repeatedly asked the minister about a potential conflict of interest, but he has confidently stated that all relatives work on equal terms.
For example, in February 2026, Aidarbek Saparov rejected accusations of helping his relatives involved in agribusiness. According to media reports, a company linked to his brother, Nogaybay, received about 713.5 million tenge in state support in 2019–2020 for crop and livestock development, including the creation of a dairy farm.
Specifically, his brother Altynbek Seipullovich Saparov is the head and sole owner of Nogaybay. Aidarbek Saparov was a co-owner of Nogaybay together with his brother from August 14, 2007, to February 19, 2009, after which Altynbek became the sole owner. Altynbek also has an individual entrepreneurship and owns the public foundation "Magzhan Zhumabaev Audandyk 'Nogaybay Bi' Meshiti" in Petropavlovsk.
Aidarbek Saparov was the director of Nogaybay from 1995 to 2003. From November 2006 to March 2008, he served as akim of the Shal akyn district of North Kazakhstan Region, and from March 2008 to April 2010, as akim of the Magzhan Zhumabaev district, where the Bulaev Astyk elevator is located.
From 2010 to 2019, Aidarbek Saparov was deputy and first deputy akim of North Kazakhstan Region, from 2019 to 2022 – first vice-minister of agriculture, from 2022 to 2023 – akim of the region, and since September 4, 2023 – Minister of Agriculture.
His daughter Sulushash is married to Adilkhan Arystanov, a nephew of former Majilis chairman Nurlan Nigmatulin, and his wife Botagoz Saparova heads the farm "Seipil Malik". Aidarbek Saparov's son, Nursultan, is a co-owner of the company "Nur-Agro", registered in Petropavlovsk, which is engaged in growing grains and oilseeds, cattle breeding, and cultivating fodder crops.