The issue of pastures for agricultural population breeding the livestock in their personal subsidiary economies was touched on by the mazhilisman Nurzhan Altayev on his Facebook page on April 30. In fact, he simply explained the current regulation of the Land Code of Kazakhstan. And in response, he ran into the inadequate reaction of the former Minister of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and even threats from other opponents.
Pasture for the village
So, Nurzhan Altayev said that he receives many appeals from countrymen who keep cattle in their farmsteads. But they have no place to tend cattle, because all the land around the villages is either leased or in private property.
“There is a conundrum when you live in a village, you have 1 cow, 5-6 sheep, and you have no place to graze them. As soon as you put them to the outskirts of the village, immediately there are people who say that this land is in someone’s property or rent, and prohibit you to graze cattle. Hence, the problems and conflicts appear. Even fights, shooting at cattle take place.
This problem, friends, is, in sober fact, already solved. Parliament adopted changes to the Land Code to resolve this situation.
So, in line with Article 84 of the Land Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 15 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On pastures”, land plots can be forcibly alienated to “Meet the needs of the population in pasture land for grazing farm animals of personal farms”.
After that, Nurzhan Altayev provided explanations on the mechanism of alienation. Namely: local akimat should develop a special “Plan for pasture management and their use” on the basis of standards for livestock. And already on the basis of this document, pastures around settlements can be forcibly removed.
Someone else’s billions
It would seem that a mazhilisman fulfills his direct duties entrusted to him by the law – he explains the norms to his voters and helps to resolve urgent problems. But for some reason, a furious attack of the meat oligarchs and their close associates followed at lightning speed, the expert of the “Kazakh-Zerno” NA notes.
The owner of the Angus farm, Arsen Islamov, immediately turned the question to the level that he should be compensated for his costs:
“The question is if during the use of this pasture improvements have been made, how will the amount be paid to the person from whom these pastures are withdrawn?” he asked.
Nurzhan Altayev cited the law to the man:
“Please look at the paragraph 4 of clause 3 of Article 84 of the Land Code. It says that the recovery of losses is made in full.”
Soon the big guns appeared in the post: Asylzhan Mamytbekov, former Minister of Agriculture, and now – the head of the Meat Union of Kazakhstan, uniting the country’s largest livestock owners.
From the first words of the ex-minister his extreme exaltation became noticeable. Which, however, is not surprising given the fact that it was the land issue (or rather, rallies against the land reform, prepared with the participation of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan) in May 2016 cost Asylzhan Mamytbekov a warm ministerial office.
The head of the Meat Union devoted his comment to the lack of state funds to buy land from the current owners and tenants:
“How much does it cost to redeem this land? More than 70 billion tenge across the country. Where did akims of the villages have so much money from? Have you provided such transfers to lower budgets in the Law on the Republican Budget? No. And how then will they fulfill the requirements for which you urge the countrymen to hold the akims of the villages to account? No way! After all, there is no money. And who accepts the republican budget? You – a deputy of the Majilis! ”
Feeder for oligarchs
In order to understand the concern of Mr. Mamytbekov for the republican budget, one needs to recall that the livestock owners of Kazakhstan themselves need it very much. And therefore, they don’t want to see any competitors in the queue for the state cake. Let us recall the request of the group of Majilismen, voiced in mid-March: the livestock breeders of Aktobe region did not receive payment of subsidies amounting to more than 2.4 billion tenge for 2018; the issue of payment for 2019 under already accepted obligations was not resolved, the deputies said. Deputies estimated the total amount of arrears of subsidies to the meat kings of Kazakhstan at 36.6 billion tenge. The most interesting thing is that Aktep LLP is located in the Aktobe region – the flagship of the Meat Union of Kazakhstan, which is very close to Asylzhan Mamytbekov personally. That is, the situation is clear: the country’s meat oligarchs are used to scooping multibillion-dollar grants from the budget for either one program or another program (while regularly failing these programs). And then another item of expenditures appears suddenly, which will move the livestock owners to the end of the queue for easy money…
After that, Nurzhan Altayev asked Asylzhan Mamytbekov a quite reasonable question: “I didn’t quite understand you, Aseke. Are you against the current Land Code? ”
And in response he stumbled again on an overemotional explanation. The former head of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan simply blew up:
“I am against all absurd! Codes and laws are adopted and changed by people. You say that it’s as if I am against the Quran! If such absurdity is written in the Land Code – yes, I am against it! ”
What followed was a calm response from Nurzhan Altayev, who simply and clearly cut the opponent down to size:
“Mr. Mamytbekov worked for a long time in the Ministry of Agriculture. He is very well aware of the accepted norms. If he was against this norm, he, as the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, could oppose it then. Or at least resign if he does not agree with it. And I do not understand what he is writing now.”
Are household farms guilty of everything?
But having been defeated in this dispute, Asylzhan Mamytbekov did not calm down, but with redoubled energy attacked household farms, which he had long had a penchant for. And again understandably. After all, Askar Myrzakhmetov, who replaced him in his post as minister, specifically directed the main focus (and fixed assets) of the Ministry of Agriculture to support for private farms, essentially depriving agricultural oligarchs. Since then, household farms is a pain in the neck of those who are thinking of turning the agro-industrial complex into a personal patrimony, allowing only a handful of close associates to enrich themselves. And this is despite the fact that the statistics say clearly: the main number of agricultural population in Kazakhstan lives at the expense of their own farmsteads. At the same time, they give the country 75% of milk and 69% of meat. They, not the oligarch and their vaunted Anguses. But for Asylzhan Mamytbekov, these facts are not an argument. He once again voiced his position, which is that household farms does not have the right to exist. The ex-minister has tangented:
“Cattle breeding should become a business – a way to earn money, that is, professional (!!) farming, not household farms (!!!) should develop. Accordingly, farmers should own land on the right of long-term lease or property.
People who are engaged in cattle breeding for surviving, i.e. in order to make ends meet, that is, to be engaged in household farms (survival farming), should receive a decent salary or benefits. Then this question will disappear by itself. As in the USA, Canada, Australia, Argentina Brazil. This is the only way”.
In response, the mazhilisman Nurzhan Altayev has only to shrug and summarize:
“It’s good that you write this here. Let people see who is guilty of the situation. ”
Threat to the deputy and withdrawn newspaper
And after that a threat sounded towards the mazhilisman. A man named Serik Ibrayev allowed it, whose profile indicates the position of “deputy chairman in the RPO “Farmers Union of Kazakhstan.” He said, literally: “Do not take care of yourself.”
It seems to be a simple phrase, but with a very transparent hint. This hint is especially transparent for those who are familiar with the situation around the former head of the Farmers Union of Kazakhstan, Auezkhan Darinov.
But Nurzhan Altayev remained calm: “No need to threaten, Serik. I’m a scared person.”
By the way, Toleutai Rakhimbekov, the contestant for the presidency of Kazakhstan from the “Aul” party, supported the mazhilisman. As we all remember, last year he also had many conversations in such a tone with the country’s cattle owners. And now we have learned how it all ended: “I was already frightened. And a newspaper was withdrawn from someone,” said Toleutai Rakhtimbekov.
Slaves on their own land
The most interesting thing is the reaction of ordinary people, who the topic of household farms and pastures for grazing their livestock is comes near. They gave the most objective assessment of the position of the former Minister of Agriculture and his associates.
Here, for example, as Elena Ulanova commented on the discussion:
“Asylzhan Mamytbekov, your attitude to the reduction of household farms kills villages at the grassroots level. It seems that you are exterminating the agricultural population as a class, not allowing it to develop.
Statistics of reducing the number of household farms shows that the village is dying, and in a normal way, as it happened in developed countries, the private farms became independent, and only later united into larger farms on mutually beneficial conditions.
Such a result, as a consequence, was preceded by a reason, which is expressed in the creation of conditions for the development of small peasant farms, and the basis for this development is that peasants have the right to private ownership of land.
YES, YES, YES – these are exactly the land shares that, by means of fraudulent schemes, are currently in the possession of large landowners, whom you are developing, supporting by state money, and you see the prospect of overcoming the crisis of the entire agriculture in them.
You are deeply mistaken.
All these large landowners are fraudsters for one simple reason: there is no norm in the land legislation that allows you to receive the right to use land for free with a size of more than the land share per one rural resident.
Free of charge, these rights were granted to residents of former state and collective farms as a result of privatization.
The peasants gave in use (for rent), and in return received a combination of three fingers?
Not only did they not pay for the rent, but they were also able to liberate it.
Think about what you have done, and now you want to turn the peasants into slaves, and to make them work for their masters, on their own land !” ..
This position supported by Arman Abildayev:
“All the land plots around our village were bought by completely strangers. No grazing. The owners of the land are all “VIPs” and you cannot get access to them. How to deal with them? They run the show”…
Zhumabay Dilmanov suggested a way out – to seek justice for the large landowners and meat oligarchs (and isn’t this the same thing?) in law enforcement agencies.
“All these complaints of the agricultural population should be sent to the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Supreme Court, Nureke. With your deputy request. It is necessary that these higher authorities take control of the observance of the law on each such request and punish those who ignore this law. ”
Indeed, it is time for law enforcers to intervene. After all, it is already frankly frightening what extent of impunity has reached certain leaders who, without a twinge of conscience, publicly threaten the mazhilisman (the elect of a people defending the interests of ordinary people) and also speak negatively about the laws of their country.
Akyn Aulov
