The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan, in partnership with JSC National Company Food Contract Corporation, has launched a long-term forward procurement mechanism for red lentils to support farmers and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

The initiative is implemented under UNDP’s project “Promoting a Sustainable Agricultural Production System and Conserving Ecosystem Landscapes in Northern Kazakhstan” (FOLUR), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other national institutions.

The new mechanism provides advance payments to agricultural producers to support spring fieldwork, the signing of three-year contracts for the procurement of red lentils, and a three-year planning horizon covering 2026–2028. The advance payment is set at KZT 90,000 per ton of lentils. Advance payments will be made no later than 1 March in 2026, 2027, and 2028, with product delivery required by November of the respective year.

The programme covers North Kazakhstan, Akmola, and Kostanay regions. Eligible participants include agricultural producers willing to adopt science-based crop rotation practices using legumes, oilseeds, and cereals, and who have the necessary arable land, agricultural machinery, seed processing and storage infrastructure, and qualified personnel.

Scientific organizations supported by UNDP will participate in the preliminary selection of potential suppliers. Over the three-year period, participating farmers will receive comprehensive scientific and advisory support. Experts will assist farms in developing crop rotation plans, conduct soil analyses, estimate indicative yields for legume crops, and provide guidance on compliance with agricultural technologies and on the assessment of social and environmental risks.

The initiative also includes regular monitoring of soil conditions, including measurements of humus content, acidity, productive moisture levels, and nutrient availability. This will enable tracking changes over time and, where necessary, adjusting the applied agrotechnological solutions.

Additional information about participating in the forward procurement program is available at the following adresses and phone numbers:

Kokshetau, Nursultan Nazarbayev Ave., 19, tel. (8-716-2) 55-11-51, 55-11-54, 42-25-22 (for potential applicants in the Akmola and Karaganda regions).

Kostanay, Tauelsizdik Street, 147, tel. (8-714-2) 53-11-44, 53-12-44, 54-28-20 (for potential applicants in the Aktobe, West Kazakhstan, and Kostanay regions);

Petropavlovsk, Partizanskaya Street, 160, tel. (8-715-2) 55-11-60, 42-22-66 (for potential applicants in the North Kazakhstan region).

UNDP Representatives:

Project Manager — Adambek Nurzhan, tel. +7 701 794 3038

Financial Analyst — Birzhan Yevniyev, tel. +7 702 220 0595

Representative of a scientific organization, UNDP consultant — Bakyt Irmulatov, tel. +7 777 644 3011