Kazakhstan to produce bananas on industrial scale

A complex of greenhouses with banana trees was built in the Turkestan region. Its total floor size is going to be more than 10 hectares. According to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, a variety of bananas in the greenhouse was intentionally created for Kazakhstan’s climate.

The greenhouse has a capacity of 1,000 tons of bananas per year. The first harvest is expected in six to eight months (in February or April 2024). The first stage of the project cost $4 million.

The complex of greenhouses was built by Turkish GenGroup Qazaqstan with the help of extra-strong materials. So far, the greenhouse is occupying 5.3 hectares. The complex is expected to be expanded to an additional 5 hectares. Apart from bananas, the company wants to grow tomatoes and strawberries here.

The greenhouse is equipped with climate control and an adaptive nutrition system. The ministry said that these technologies will help «the plant to open its natural potential even in poor conditions.»

In August 2020, the Khabar 24 TV channel showed a story about Khalima Seitkerimova, who grew banana trees in her garden. She bought young plants in 2011 and picked her first harvest nine years after that, although due to poor weather conditions, only one tree produced fruits. Bananas can easily get frozen if the temperature drops below +16 Celsius (open-source information).

According to the Bureau of the National Statistics and the State Revenue Committee, in 2020, Kazakhstan imported 55,300 tons of bananas (including plantains fresh and dried) for $33 million and exported 646.5 tons for $300,000. In 2021, Kazakhstan imported 89,300 tons of bananas for $53.4 million and exported 1,700 tons for 1.1 million. In 2022, the country imported 87,000 tons of bananas and exported 520 tons for $304,000. Over the period from January to May 2023, the import of bananas and plantains to Kazakhstan reached 33,700 tons for $24.7 million, while the export was 134 tons for $64,000. The vast majority of the product imported to Kazakhstan are fresh bananas, while plantains and dried bananas account for just several tons.

Russia and Ecuador are the two key countries from which Kazakhstan imports bananas and plantains. In 2022, 85% of all fresh bananas were brought to Kazakhstan from Ecuador (Russia accounted for the remaining amount). In turn, Kazakhstan exports bananas to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.