To reach the authorities: a farmer may lose cattle worth 58 million because of the lack of haymaking

When Ruslan Meiramov from the village of Doroginka decided to go into business, he already knew that it would be a field in agriculture. After studying the market, he realized that cattle breeding has great potential, and the government supports farmers quite well. However, after barely starting his business, the young entrepreneur was left alone with his problems. All pedigree cattle, purchased for 58 million tenge, may simply not survive the winter due to lack of fodder. The farm has no arable land and hayfields for fodder. Numerous appeals to the local akimat also gave no results. Meanwhile, Ruslan has to repay the arranged loan within 10 years. Hoping to get support, the young man turned to the editorial board of World of NAN.

According to Ruslan Meiramov, the founder of Nur-Daur group LLP, his farm was registered in the territory of Shirokovsky rural district of Sandyktau district of Akmola region in 2020. In the same autumn, the company purchased at an auction a land plot with a total area of 5 hectares for the construction of a livestock breeding complex. After that, on December 21, 2020 "Nur-Daur group" LLP took part in a land competition and won the right to lease a land plot of 500 hectares of pastureland. In March of the current year (2021) the company has bought 120 heads of breeding cattle of beef breed "Aberdeen-Angusian" and 5 bulls-producers of the same breed. To buy cattle LLP obtained a loan through the Agrarian Credit Corporation for 58 million tenge. The entrepreneur immediately applied to the local executive body, namely to the deputy akim of Sandyktau region Kairat Zhylkibayev with a request to provide land for arable land and hayfields, and also wrote a statement to the local rural akimat about the allocation of hayfields in flood meadows. But according to Ruslan Meiramov, he was sent away saying that there was no arable land and hayfields on the territory of Shirokovsky rural district. There are only 350 hectares of pastures in the land fund of the district. And in order to get the plot it is necessary to participate in the competition.

"We have verbally agreed with the representatives of the local akimat that as soon as we will buy cattle, the authorities will give us a long-term lease on the agricultural lands for sowing crops up to 5000 hectares and on the hayfields up to 500 hectares. After all, it is clear that we need pastures and fodder for animal husbandry and hayfields for their preparation. We have fulfilled our obligations, but we have not received the promised support from the local authorities," says Ruslan Meiramov.

As the farmer says, all the documents for participation in the competition were collected and submitted on time. At the same time, the chief specialist of the local akimat, who accepted the documents, checked the availability of the full package and assured that everything was in order.

"Already during the tender, it became known that we will not be able to bid for the plots, as there is no seal on the back of one document. My arguments that the specialist checked everything and confirmed the correctness of the documents were not heard. And they didn't listen to my arguments that all cattle would die if we could not provide fodder. Later, we found out that the district authorities decided to lease the aforementioned lands to farmers from other rural districts, without taking into consideration the interests of entrepreneurs from their own rural district. We understand that entrepreneurs have equal conditions for doing business in our country. But we also think priority should be given to local businessmen. "Outsiders" are not interested in the aspirations and needs of the local population. But we are ready to provide housing and jobs just for the natives," Ruslan says with bitterness in his voice.

He also met with the district Akim, Yerbol Zhusupbekov. According to the entrepreneur, the akim verbally asked his deputy to help the farmer.

"The akim of the district told to help, but his deputy Kairat Zhylkibayev is in no hurry to help. Moreover, at a recent meeting with farmers of the district, he ignored my problem. He even said that I was complaining everywhere. And the local akim of our village, Nazymbek Karimzhanov, when I asked for help, declared that I took the cattle only for personal enrichment. After all this sometimes it seems to me that there's no point in waiting for help," says Ruslan.

He goes on to say that numerous negotiations with the local executive authorities take a lot of time and energy. And he does not have enough of the former. He needs to have time to prepare at least a minimum amount of hay and fodder. The farmer uses the land available in the farm for cattle grazing. There is no hayfield. Therefore, Ruslan has to find a way out of the situation. Recently he applied to the Republican Chamber of Angus of Kazakhstan. They allocated 40 bales of hay as aid. Seytzhan Kamytbekov, head of the agriculture department of the Sandyktau district, arranged with local farmers to leave straw on the plots after harvesting.

Ruslan collects this straw.

"It's all about harvesting now. I'm doing my best. In order for the cattle to safely survive the stabling, we need to prepare 325 tons of hay, 65 tons of barley and 90 tons of straw. It is an impossible burden without arable land and haymaking. So far, I've managed to collect 91 bales of hay and 300 bales of straw. It's barely enough for a month's livestock. There is no roughage at all. I don't know what will happen next. This is despite the fact that some entrepreneurs of the district have hayfields, but do not keep livestock. They just cut hay, sell it and make money. Many of the obtained plots do not even correspond to the number of cattle", Ruslan comments on the current state of affairs.

Despite the fact that there is still no support from the local akimat, which the novice farmer needs so much, the company continues its work. To date, on the territory of the farm the construction of a base for cattle housing is underway. Engineering networks - cold water, electricity - are being supplied to the facility. Administrative and household complex is completed. Even today for the construction of the facility, according to Ruslan Meiramov, more than 100 million tenge has been invested from his own funds. Not counting the loan of 58 million obtained for the purchase of livestock.

"In the future we planned to increase the number of cattle up to 500 heads, additionally purchase 500 heads of horses and 1000 heads of sheep. Under these conditions we could have created jobs for at least 15 people. Now all I can think about is how not to lose the cattle we have on hand," Ruslan adds.

The young man confesses that he is desperate and doesn't know which doors to knock on. He has written letters to the Nur Otan party, the regional governor and even the Minister of Agriculture. Everyone advised to sort it out locally. The entrepreneur is preparing his next appeal to the President.

"My last hope is for the President. Where else should I go? Is it really possible in our country to bring cattle to their deaths in peacetime because of bureaucratic delays and watch the business collapse before it has even started? I was encouraged by the examples of successful Kazakh farmers. And now I see how difficult it is to start a business. It's like my wings have been broken off. How can young people do business after that?", the 27-year-old entrepreneur was indignant.

In turn, we also tried to find out how the local akimat of the Sandyktau district could help. We asked for an official explanation of Ruslan Meiramov's situation. But we received a week of ignoring and silence. The akimat was ready to respond to our written request only in October.

However, it turned out that after our call, the akimat representatives met with Ruslan and said they are ready to temporarily provide hayfields for fodder preparation.

"We went to the site. But it is impossible to work there with machinery. There are potholes everywhere. I refused to mow there. Because breaking the machinery will cost me many times more than the hay I will scrape up. That's why I'm looking for a way out on my own. But deep down I hope, that local authorities will not allow my business to be stopped and my dreams to fall apart so easily. I still believe that the state is on the side of people like me, who are willing to work for the good of the country," Ruslan says.

P.S. Today the akim of the village contacted him. Ruslan told us over the phone that the akim invited him to take part in a competition for a plot of land next year. On Monday he invited him to the akimat to provide a temporary site for sowing perennial grasses. Only Ruslan will be able to sow grass, and even more so, to prepare fodder from them, only next season. And this means he will have to save his business with his own forces. We will follow the development of events and will report as soon as there is any news on the situation.

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