Kazakhstan and the Netherlands Discussed Issues of Phytosanitary Safety and Strengthening Cooperation in Agriculture
Issues of phytosanitary safety and the possibility of further strengthening cooperation were discussed at the Kazakh-Dutch Agrarian round table at the World Horthy Center in the Netherlands. The event was organized by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Netherlands and JSC “NC KAZAKH INVEST”, with the support of Dutch Greenhouse Delta. The round table was attended by about 30 foreign companies, as well as representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture of the two countries.
The business event was opened with a welcoming speech by the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Netherlands Askar Zhumagaliyev. The Ambassador noted the role of agriculture in Kazakhstan and the Netherlands, shared information on the implementation of the agreements reached following the results of last year's visit of Dutch companies to Kazakhstan, and also noted the upcoming plans for the current year to develop bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture.
"Last year we visited more than 70 Dutch companies in agriculture. We got acquainted with their latest resource-saving technologies, management and export strategy, which together led to high results in the development of the industry. The Dutch experience once again confirms the importance of diversification of the economy of Kazakhstan, where the priority direction is the development of agriculture. Therefore, much attention in the work of the Embassy is paid to attracting Dutch investments and technologies to the agro-industrial complex of Kazakhstan, where there is great potential for mutually beneficial cooperation," the Ambassador of Kazakhstan said.
Chairman of the State Inspection Committee in the Agro-Industrial Complex of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mars Almabek shared information about the requirements for phytosanitary safety in Kazakhstan, and also spoke about new measures taken by the agency to simplify export procedures. The head of the Committee also answered questions from Dutch companies about phytosanitary requirements for seeds, laboratory examinations and measures to detect viruses and diseases in crops.
President of the Union of Potato and Vegetable Growing of Kazakhstan Kairat Bisetayev and Head of the laboratory of the Kazakhstan Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology Malika Shamekova shared the results of joint work with Dutch partners from NAK (Netherlands General Inspection Service of Agricultural Seeds and Seed Potatoes) and Naktuinbouw (Netherlands Horticulture Inspection Service). According to them, since the middle of November last year, online training and consultation of our specialists have been launched. In 2022, it is planned to conduct practical classes with the departure of Kazakhstani specialists to the Netherlands, as well as Dutch specialists to Kazakhstan.
The participants of the round table also discussed the details of the upcoming visit of Dutch businessmen to Kazakhstan and their participation in a series of webinars held for Kazakh farmers.
At the end of the round table, the Kazakh side proposed to strengthen cooperation on the export of agricultural products to the Netherlands.
