Kazakhstan returns over 1 million hectares of farmland in 2026, no officials punished

August 14, 2026 at 05:00 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Kazakhstan's Agriculture Ministry reports that more than 1 million hectares of agricultural land were returned to state ownership in 2026, including 987,000 hectares of pasture. No official from local executive bodies has been held accountable for the illegal land allocations that prompted the seizures. Returned plots are managed by the same district akimats, according to the ministry's response to Orda.kz.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan's Agriculture Ministry said more than 1 million hectares of agricultural land were returned to state ownership in 2026, including 987,000 hectares of pasture, 62,000 hectares of arable land and 48,000 hectares of other farmland.
About 480,000 hectares were returned voluntarily, 223,000 hectares were seized by court decision, and 25,000 hectares were returned through cancellation of illegal lease agreements.
Since 2022, Kazakhstan has returned 15.4 million hectares of agricultural land, and 95% of that area has already been redistributed.
The largest single land returns in 2026 were a 121,000-hectare plot in Akmola Region's Birzhan Sal district, a 36,000-hectare plot in Aktobe Region's Shalkar district, and a 22,000-hectare plot in Kostanay Region's Zhangeldin district.
In 2026, no official from local executive bodies was held accountable for illegal allocation of agricultural land, the ministry told Orda.kz.

Returned Land Breakdown

The Agriculture Ministry reported that more than 1 million hectares of agricultural land were returned to state ownership in 2026, though the sum of categories cited by the ministry exceeds 1.097 million hectares. Pasture accounted for 987,000 hectares, more than 90 percent of the total, while arable land made up 62,000 hectares and other agricultural land 48,000 hectares. About 480,000 hectares were returned voluntarily, 223,000 hectares were seized by court decision, and 25,000 hectares were returned through cancellation of illegal lease agreements. The largest single returns were recorded in Akmola, Aktobe and Kostanay regions, including a 121,000-hectare plot in Birzhan Sal district.

No Officials Punished

The ministry stated that in 2026 no official from local executive bodies was held accountable for illegal allocation of agricultural land. The ministry named illegal provision of land by akimats as one of the key reasons for land seizures. After a court decision, a seized land plot returns to state ownership and its further disposal is handled by the relevant local executive body within its competence, the ministry said. The ministry did not specify which plots were returned in the last year, from whom they were taken, or what happens to them after return.

Redistribution to Akimats

Returned land plots are placed under the management of local executive bodies, the same district akimats that originally allocated them. Since 2022, Kazakhstan has returned 15.4 million hectares of agricultural land, and 95 percent of that area has already been redistributed. The ministry's response did not detail how the 2026 returned land would be redistributed or who would gain access to it.