Kazakhstan plans to tighten phytosanitary control over the transportation of agricultural products between regions, reports infohub.kz.
Saken Kanybekov, chairman of the State Inspection Committee in the Agro-Industrial Complex, announced plans to introduce a mandatory quarantine certificate for the domestic transport of regulated products. The measure, he said, will improve traceability of agricultural shipments and reduce the risk of contamination outbreaks.
Additionally, Kazakhstan is rolling out electronic phytosanitary certificates for international shipments and automating quarantine lab operations through the EASU information system. Phytosanitary checkpoints have already been moved directly to the border with EAEU countries and connected to the internet for real-time data sharing. Switching to a paid phytosanitary examination system has allowed labs to increase staffing by 254 people, to a total of 372, raise salaries, improve equipment, and build new facilities near checkpoints.
Currently, Kazakhstan operates 21 quarantine phytosanitary laboratories, nine of which are equipped with PCR equipment. This year, similar units are planned for Shymkent, Kostanay, and Kokshetau. By 2027, PCR equipment will be installed in Pavlodar, Taraz, and at the Bakhty phytosanitary checkpoint. Ten more labs are also planned at key border crossings.
According to the committee, the area affected by quarantine pests in Kazakhstan has shrunk from 61,900 hectares in 2021 to 46,500 hectares in 2026. In the first half of 2026, over 1,530 violations were detected during imports of regulated products, resulting in fines totaling 200.2 million tenge.
Meanwhile, the country is overhauling its locust control strategy. Pest control service procurement has been consolidated into a single comprehensive lot, cutting budget spending by approximately 2 billion tenge. The FITOCENTRE geographic information system is used, along with 103 drones, and the sprayer fleet has grown from 427 to 556 units. As a result, the area treated for locusts dropped from 3.1 million hectares in 2024 to 1.8 million hectares in 2026.