The newly established Center of Agrarian Competence under NCE RK trains farmers to the basics of innovation and effective management of agribusiness

Today, the state pays great attention to the development of agriculture, based on the understanding that future is behind for the farmers, in fact, it is a free niche for small businesses. Farmers obtain different kinds of support in the form of grants, loans, services. However, farmers who often have to deal with their own issues need other kind of assistance. For example, to keep up with the times, it is necessary to introduce new technologies. Alas, not all farmers have special education, and often work in the old fashioned way. But today the situation is such that without some knowledge, innovation in its production, you can’t achieve any effective results. The Center of Agrarian Competence was established in order to improve the skills of our farmers.

We asked the director of the Center of Agrarian Competence NCE RK "Atameken" Toleutay Rakhimbekov to speak to about the purpose of the creation of this body, in terms of usefulness for farmers and the relevance of the seminars for farmers.

- Toleutai Sataevich why there was such a need? How much do our farmers need training today?

It should be noted that the vast majority of our farmers, managers agro-formations do not have special agricultural education. However, even with a special higher professional education, the modern development of agriculture requires constant training, because almost every day innovations and new technologies are introduced in the production.

One of the main problems of agricultural sector is the lack of information about new technologies, innovations in agricultural enterprises. In this regard, the Ministry of Agriculture has developed a budget program- toll-free information support of agribusiness entities. That is, training will be free for farmers. The National Chamber of entrepreneurs "Atameken" was selected as the executor of the state order, as it is the only institution that has branches in all rural areas.

As part of the program we are commissioned to conduct 700 workshops covering 10 thousand subjects of agrarian and industrial complex. Client – the Ministry of Agriculture has identified 25 priority areas within which will be held seminars.

- Is the specialization of each region taken into account during the workshops?

- From 1st to 21^st of July, we held 110 workshops in almost all regions of the country, except for Aktobe, Mangistau and Atyrau regions, where farmers will start training from 8^th of August. We are not going to train farmers for a month or six months. It is important to hear from them specific questions that require the same answers.

Of course, during the selection of direction we taken into account the specifics of regions, for example, we held a lot of seminars on camel breeding in Mangistau region. There are a number of seminars on this subject in Kyzylorda, South Kazakhstan and Almaty regions. Seminars of wheat cultivation were primarily held in Akmola, Kostanay and North Kazakhstan regions. In addition, we plan to conduct workshops on crop production in Almaty, Zhambyl, South Kazakhstan regions, where winter wheat can also be cultivated. Maize is mainly grown in Taldykorgan area and Almaty region, rice - in Kyzylorda region, there and in South Kazakhstan region – cotton, such fields as maral breeding, beekeeping, are developed in East Kazakhstan, however, farmers of Almaty region, SKR and Zhambyl region showed great interest to beekeeping, sheep and horse breeding is being developed in Karaganda region.

When choosing the topics of workshops, we take into account requests of farmers. Topics were selected on the basis of proposals of industry associations, whose members are farmers and peasants, heads of LLPs, etc.

Of course, within three or four days, or a month, six months, it is impossible to cover the entire spectrum of issues related to agricultural production. We set ourselves the task - within a day or two to respond to the specific question of farmers. This is the essence of the transfer of innovative technologies, varieties, breeds, etc. Last week, on the basis of knowledge dissemination center at the Institute of grain farming, and the basic farm - LLP "Novokubanskoe" Akmola region was considered the question of the application of plant growth bio-stimulators, the farmers were told that their use will increase the yield of grain and forage crops by 15-20 percent. And there are uniform bio-stimulants, but the impact on the plant in the last two years is quite different. This year the summer was rainy, so it is effective to apply one type of bio-stimulants. At the same time in dry years, the application of bio-stimulants doesn’t have the same effect, it is necessary to use other things.

In Kyzylorda region, we plan to conduct workshops on rice cultivation with an application of an automated irrigation system. That is regulated water supply to the rice fields, which enables to lower water consumption to 30-35 percent. This is a rather large figure, approximately 30-32 thousand cubic meters of water is needed for 1 hectare of rice crops. With an automatic water supply you save 8-9 thousand cubic meters of water per hectare. This method has already been tested in the region, the relevant research was conducted. Now it is necessary to tell farmers and to show that there is nothing complicated, because, as we know, people are afraid of novelty. The farmers are also afraid of application of new technologies. And the automated rice irrigation system is quite simple: the float keeps the water and does not allow to go to the fields. The moisture is absorbed into the soil, the water level drops, when the float opens, water is supplied to the rice fields.

It is planned to conduct quite interesting seminars and livestock, in particular, to reduce animal stress, affecting the daily weight gain. It would seem what kind of stress? Meanwhile, for example, poultry farms often do not let outsiders, referring to the sanitary norms, the introduction of some infections, etc. Yes, their fears are justified. But the main cause is stress, which they experience when strangers visit a poultry farm. And if it happens, birds gain less body weight, and there are two to three million birds, we lose 2-3 tons of poultry meat, and it is certain losses that farmers lose. Same with the larger animal farms. With good technology and animal feed in feedlots, the cattle can gain weight of 1.5 kg per day per head. Such factors as: where the staff stands, what they are wearing, how animal run is regulated, what is the temperature of the water supply for drinking, all these are formation factors. That is, there are many technologies, our farmers just need to be told about them, and not only talked about, but also shown during the workshops, so that they get personally convinced that the new technologies are understandable and clear, and there is no need to fear to introduce them at home.

Another innovation, which started to apply our advanced farmers, these are special machines for the animal run. Such machines are imported from abroad. They allow, firstly, to simplify the procedures for weaning calves. Secondly, to carry out veterinary activities. With existing technologies for veterinary activities for 200 heads, they had to involve 10-12 people. With the new machines 1-2 people cope with a herd of 600 animals. The increasing use of ultrasound technology in animal husbandry allows to determine on the 20-25 day, whether a cow awaits litter. Using the same technology, you can determine the thickness of the meat, its marbling. Previously, it was compulsorily to slaughter 1-2 heads.

Or if we take the tapestry gardening. We used to grow apples and pears 6-7 meters in height, but it is difficult to take care of them, to harvest. Now you can grow them as vineyards, a height of 2-3 meters, they are tied to ropes that are stretched between the concrete pillars. And the yield of these gardens is much higher.

Next - the production of fodder crops. One time in Kazakhstan was applied the innovation of cultural pastures, electro shepherd, electro fences, then we gradually forgot about them, now we are trying to revive these technologies. There is a wind turbine in the field, which raises water for drinking and generates electricity. The whole field is divided into several sections, which are fenced with electric cables, to which the cattle is afraid to approach it and this is called electro-shepherd. There is a whole system of auto water troughs at the facility. When there is no more grass for cattle on that section of the field, it goes to another section of the field for grazing grass. At this time the grass cover in the first section begins to recover, then the animals are moving to the third, fourth section, etc. And this is the cycle. After some time, the cattle goes back to the first field. All these processes can be controlled by one person.

There are many technologies in the world, and the farmers need them, they ask about it, what feeds to provide animal population. For example, the head of one of the largest agricultural holdings of our country asked the scientists what can be sown on saline fields.

Today the state renders great support to livestock breeding. As we know, highly productive breeds of cattle were imported; there were established pedigree reproducers, who sell it to ordinary farmers, heifers. But the question arises: how to feed? After all, not every farmer knows how to calculate the feeding rations so as not to lose the effect of highly productive breeds. And they often start to feed as usual; as a result they lose the whole effect, saying that bad cattle was sold to them. In fact, it is necessary to apply a completely different diet of feeding and watering.

As for the poultry industry, it is required to take special care of the chicks to get normal daily weight gain.

Camel breeding is developing in Mangistau region. It is also important to know how to increase the productivity of this species, how should they be fed. At the Center of Agrarian Competence there is a foreign expert – a Frenchman, who has worked 20 years in the Arab world and was engaged in camel breeding. He will teach our farmers to new methods of came breeding, grazing regime, the ability of selection of the pastures, etc. And this is important because, developing camel breeding, we can produce shubat. We can also proceed to the sublimation drying of camel milk for the purpose of sale in Astana, Almaty and restore it there. There is not a big difference between dry and reconstituted milk. If we have learned to dry cow's milk, why not apply the same for camel or mare, and then recover? Milk powder is much cheaper, and from the point of view of the economy and taking into account periods of storage.

- In addition to new technologies, what else can experts of the Center  tell farmers?

- The first – the economic efficiency of technologies, which are offered at the seminars, that is what effect will receive a farmer from the introduction of new varieties, breeds or technologies.

The second - the measures of state support for agrarians in a particular direction. By the way, training seminars are conducted on a free basis for farmers, it is also one of the measures of state support. Fighting with plant pests, subsidizing supply of irrigation water, herbicides, pesticides, implementation of procurement operations. These are also included in measures of state support for agribusiness entities. Kazakhstan offers a lot of state support measures, not only in the form of subsidies and loans. But often, farmers are simply not aware of them. Not everyone knows about the subsidies, but even if they have heard about these or other subsidies, they do not know how to get them, where to go. Another point. When farmers are told about the proposed subsidies, they see the list of documents required, they simply ignore the help of the state, because farmers don’t want to collect the documents. And if you look at it closely, 9 out of 10 documents is resting in their private draw at the house! This is a standard set of documents, for example, copy of ID, state act for a land plot, a certificate of an individual entrepreneur that each of them has. And it required only a couple of other documents related to the profitability of the enterprise, etc.

The third section – is cooperation in agriculture. And we focus our scientific experts that the most important thing in agriculture is not industrial cooperation. We do not try to combine all the farmers in a big collective farm, as people genetically fear collectivization, collective farms, etc. When they are told about it, of course, they reject this kind of cooperation. The new format of cooperation means agricultural co-operation in performance of individual functions. The farmer has to deal with its direct business – he doesn’t have to worry about the rest. He can 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to work, for example, cattle or sheep breeding, crop or vegetable production, let him do it. And our farmers are busy with marketing of products, search of fuel, lubricants, machinery, fertilizers, a veterinarian, etc. And it is necessary to offer them to combine certain functions and to create cooperatives that would be involved in all these processes. What are the main problems of agricultural producers? First of all, the sale of products. Any entrepreneurial activity is aimed at profit through marketing of these products. The second problem – is a lack of service support. The third problem - is financial resources. The creation of cooperatives in rural areas should be focused on the solution of these problems. For example, farmers and private peasant farms in a rural district could combine the functions of sales and marketing, let’s say milk collection point or vegetable collection point. These are services in the field of veterinary medicine, agrochemical treatment, maintenance, preparation of fodder, etc. These issues could be resolved through cooperatives. There is no need to hire a veterinarian for each farm, when these services can provided by a specialized cooperative? Similarly, machines, tractors, equipment could be used jointly by all farmers. This would free farmers from unnecessary functions. This problem would solve in parallel the problem of employment in rural areas.

To solve the problems of financial support, agricultural producers could create credit cooperatives in rural districts. In Russia, such cooperatives exist, and quite effectively without recourse to state support. Why not to set up such cooperatives here? Moreover, farmers, peasant farms and other residents of the village could get consumer loans for the purchase of household goods, payment of children studying in high school, that is, for different purposes. Almost on the same principle work cooperatives in Germany.

The essence of a credit cooperative that is a sort of mutually beneficial fund, when you can get money for any needs and gradually pay off. In Russia, 75-80 percent of the source of funding is the money of the shareholders themselves. They use such a mechanism as savings of shareholders’ loans. This is almost the same as that of deposits. However, remuneration rate is higher than on bank deposits. Accordingly, the credit cooperatives are more expensive. But the villagers work with credit cooperatives, because they are attracted by the short term of consideration of applications, incomparably shorter than the banks, the number of required documents, sparing collateral - instead of collateral works the principle of joint and several liability, when our mentality triggers: in the village everyone knows each other, and there will not cheat or escape with the money. Repayment of loans in rural credit associations, which, by the way, today operate in our country, is higher than in banks, because of the joint responsibility of the participants. And the main advantage of credit cooperatives is in close location, no need to go to the regional center for a loan.

- What is the role of foreign experts?

- Firstly, the experience of foreign experts need in development of methods and curricula. They share with our experts their experience in organizing seminars, teaching methodology. Secondly, their knowledge is necessary for the training of our experts, lecturers and consultants of regional chambers of entrepreneurs. It is no secret that not every academician, professor may be a speaker, and the task of a foreign specialist – is to teach them the ability to own audience, to convey their knowledge to farmers in accessible language. From past experience we know that farmers simply left the room, when the scientist began to lecture them on this or that topic, as he spoke the same language, but farmers expect the accessible language for them.

The foreign experts are also needed at basic and advanced farms to give recommendations. Today, at the seminar we have attracted specialists from France, Germany, Australia, Serbia, Canada, Russia and Ukraine.

- How did farmers themselves react to innovation? Are they satisfied with the supply of material?

- Our farmers have good impressions. They have a lot of questions, they also shared their opinion, offered their ideas for the further development of agribusiness. We can’t say that everything went smoothly, of course, there were some difficulties. But farmers like both the theoretical and practical part of the workshop were in the same vein. Business set the tone itself, determining which topics are relevant for it.

Karlygash ZHUSUPBEKOVA