Astana, April 8, 2025 — The visit of Mr. Jan-Kees Goet, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kingdom of the Netherlands started in Astana. During the visit he is accompanied by a delegation that includes representatives of leading agribusiness companies and educational institutions specializing in training for the agro-industrial sector.

On the first day of the visit, the Dutch delegation participated in the official opening of the international agricultural exhibitions Astana Flora Expo 2025 and Astana Grow Expo 2025, which showcased cutting-edge solutions in greenhouse technologies, sustainable farming, and automation. Negotiations were also held with representatives of Kazakh agribusiness and government bodies. One of the key events was the meeting of the Kazakhstan–Netherlands Working Group on Agriculture.

Jan-Kees Goet noted that Kazakhstan and the Netherlands have complementary strengths: Kazakhstan offers vast land resources and a drive to modernize its agro-sector, while the Netherlands contributes advanced technologies, sustainable solutions, and extensive experience. He emphasized that Kazakhstan remains an attractive partner for Dutch investors due to its stable economy, favourable geographic location, and government support measures, including subsidies for dairy farms and environmentally friendly technologies.

Overall, the program of the visit includes plenary sessions focused on sustainable agribusiness, smart greenhouse technology, financing, and agricultural education. The Kazakhstan–Netherlands Working Group meeting addressed topics such as seed production, veterinary cooperation, aquaculture, and agri-food education. A highlight of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Agricultural Science and Education Centre of Kazakhstan and the Dutch platform GroenPact.

It is worth to note that particular attention during the visit is being given to developing educational partnerships. The delegation includes representatives of the GroenPact platform of Dutch institutions such as Aeres, Lentiz, and HAS green academy. Their goal is to establish strong ties with Kazakh universities and launch joint initiatives in agricultural education. The high-level visit of Dutch delegation was organized with the support of KazakhInvest JSC.

Photo credit: Ilyas Omarov

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-hague/press/news/details/973042?lang=kk