Starting in 2025, JSC "NC "Procorp" is accepting applications for long-term forward financing of red lentil production. The pilot project is implemented jointly with UNDP under the program "Promoting a Sustainable Agricultural Production System and Preserving Ecosystems of the Northern Kazakhstan Landscape." The project targets agricultural producers in the North Kazakhstan, Akmola, and Kostanay regions. Financial support provides for advance funding of sowing work at a rate of 90 thousand tenge per ton of red lentils. Selection considers the readiness of farms to observe crop rotation, availability of necessary agricultural machinery, and a staff agronomist.
According to UNDP experts, the share of wheat monoculture in the northern regions reaches 75-87% of sown areas. Over the past five years, the sown area under grain legumes has more than quadrupled, reaching 781 thousand hectares. In 2025, Kazakh farmers harvested a record grain legume crop of nearly 1 million tons, with lentils accounting for about 78% of the total volume. Exports of dried legumes exceeded 570 thousand tons, increasing almost 1.5 times compared to the previous year.
Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of JSC "NC "Procorp" Samat Tenbayev noted the industry's high interest in cultivating high-margin crops. Acting UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan Sukhrob Khojimatov added that the mechanism encourages a transition to sustainable and diversified agrosystems.