Independent since 1991, Kazakhstan was previously part of the USSR. Kazakh agriculture remains a small scale sector of Kazakhstan's economy, at less than 10% of total GDP. However, Kazakhstan ranks as the sixth largest wheat producer in the world. Minor crops include barley, cotton, sugar beets, sunflowers, flax, and rice.
Numerous institutes carry out plant breeding activities. All are in the public sector, associated with either the Ministry of Agriculture or the Ministry of Education. The number of breeders is decreasing, reflecting the broader trend of a decrease of graduates in the sciences. The second reason is that after the former USSR had collapsed, many specialists of non- Kazakh nationality started to return to their historical motherlands, and especially a great number of people left the numerous scientific institutions in the north regions.
Nearly 58 agricultural crops are covered by breeding activities but the most important are wheat, barley and potato. Every institute carries out line evaluation and line development. Germplasm enhancement is more rare. Environmental breeding priorities are placed first on abiotic stress and then on biotic stress.

The lack of financial resources to carry out field and laboratory experiments is the most limiting constraint for the success in breeding activities in Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, the inadequate availability of laboratory infrastructure and the inadequate number of breeders for each crop are also major issues.

Research and education institutes with activities in plant breeding:

	Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan Website availabble in Kazakh, Russian and English The misnisistry of Agriculture is the main public institues, taking care of all the apsect of agriculture in htis large country, form steepe plant cultivation to livestock development and food safety.
	Scientific Industrial Centre of Farming and Crops (SIC) No Website available The republican state enterprise SIC of farming and crops is a state scientific entity, which includes several scientific institutes: Institute of Plant Protection, East Kazakhstan Institute of Agriculture, Institute of Potato and vegetables, Taldykorgan branch. SIC of farming and crops was organized in 2002 on the basis of the Kazakh Institute of Agriculture after W. Williams, organized in 1934. The centre has been engaged in breeding of plants for about 70 years. It is a leading scientific institution of  the republic in the field of breeding and genetic resources of crops.
	Institute of Potato and Vegetables No Website available This research institute is part of SIC of farming and crops. It has carried out plant breeding activities since 1969 and began biotechnology on potato in 1986. Research is directed on development of the methods for improvement of potato seeds. The basic agricultural crop of the centre is the potato, which accounts for more than 50% of the budget. Vegetables and melon account for the remaining budget.
	East Kazakhstan Institute of Agriculture No Website available This research institute is part of SIC of farming and crops. It carries out plant breeding activities since 1985. The basic agricultural crops of the Institute of Agriculture are wheat, sunflower and forage crops. The main breeding program is conducted on sunflower. All financial resources of the institute are allocated for line development and evaluation.
	Barayev Scientific Industrial Centre of Grain Farming No Website available A state enterprise, the SIC of grain farming includes several affiliated scientific institutes: the Pavlodar Research Institute of Agriculture, and the Institute of crops and plant breeding. The centre was established in 2002 on the basis of the Kazakh institute of grain farming named after A. Barayev organized in 1957. The basic agricultural crop is wheat. Its share of the budget constantly grows. Oilseeds crops has been carried out since 2000.
	Karabalyk Experimental Station for Agriculture No Website available This station is one of the first breeding stations organized in North Kazakhstan. Here plant breeding has been carried out since 1929. In fact the whole budget is allocated to breeding activities. It carries out line development and line evaluation on wheat, barley, and forage crops.
	Krasnovodopad breeding station No Website available Created by Mr. Golbek as a centre of winter wheat breeding, this public station is one of the first breeding centres organized in Kazakhstan. Breeding started here 93 years ago. The main crops of the station are wheat, barley, safflower and alfalfa. All financial assets of the station are allocated for line development and evaluation. No biotechnology research is yet carried out.
	Priaralsk Institute of Agroecology and Agriculture No Website available This public institute has been organized in 1993 on the basis of the Institute of rice. Since 2002 it is part of the South-West SIC of Agriculture. It is the leading centre of rice breeding. However in 2000 the share of funding for rice has sharply decreased from 100 % to 37.6% due to the diversification of breeding to include forage, vegetable and fruit crops. At the station biotechnology research is not yet carried out.
	Makhtaral experimental station No Website available This public experimental station is the only research institute in Kazakhstan which carries out cotton breeding. Breeding here started 77 years ago and focuses only in cotton. Financial assets are allocated equally to on line development and line evaluation. Research on biotechnology and enhancement of germplasm are not carried out. In the breeding program hybridization has made use of wild species.
	Institute of fruit and grape of the Scientific-industrial center of food and processing industry No Website available Established in 1957, this institute allocates 40% of its budget to breeding activities. Breeding is conducted on apple, pears, plum, sweet cherry, raspberry, currants and grapes, and consists either in line development or in line evaluation. A small part of the budget is directed toward biotechnology activities.
	Institute of crop sciences and plant breeding No Website available This state research institute was established in 2003, based on the Central Kazakhstan Institute of Agriculture. Breeding activities started in the latter institute 70 years ago. Biotechnology research is not carried out. The basic crops of the institute are wheat, forages and medicinal grasses, roots and tubers and barley.
	Institute of physiology, genetics and bioengineering of plants No Website available Organized in 1994 on the basis of the Institute of botany, this institute belongs to the Ministry of education and sciences. The main crop for biotechnology programs is wheat, which accounts for 75 to 90% of the budget. But research is also carried out on rice, barley, soyabean, onions, potato, alfalfa.

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Information by Dr. Iskakov A.R. (2004) - Information based on the Kazakhstan's full report from the PBBC survey. Last revised 01-03-2010, GIPB